Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Currently sitting on QF422 (VH-VYF) still taxing due to quite heavy congestion in Melbourne and running already 50 min late..

Interestingly this aircraft was "only" 17 minutes late arriving at 0937 hours in MEL on QF413 from SYD, the 0745 hours that took off pretty punctually at 0801.

It isn't quite '50 late' as it's the 1000 hours from MEL to SYD and we have to allow 15 minutes or so for taxi and takeoff. However it soon will be!

As remarked above, many Friday mornings in MEL have bad punctuality even though historically one might expect Monday mornings to be worst of all, since Friday afternoons are busier than Friday mornings.

UPDATE: Silvia's aircraft was airborne at 1053 with suggested arrival as 1201 hours, 36 late. Not great.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF19, the 31 May 1210 hours SYD - MNL departed 22 late with arrival expected at 1900, half an hour behind schedule.

The identically timed departure to PEK, QF107 has been delayed until 1400 hours so likely arrival is 2335, 80 late, delaying the returning redeye QF108.

With Thursday 30 May's QF49 ex MEL arriving in SFO at 1955 hours, 100 minutes tardy, the returning QF50 has been delayed until an expected 2125 hours pushback, 25 late with Saturday 1 June arrival likely at 0600 hours, half an hour late.

Although Thursday's QF1 departed SIN on time at 2355, Friday 31 LHR arrival is predicted as 0705, 40 late. It flew via Mumbai and then out to sea.

Is airspace over Pakistan still being routinely avoided and hence adding time to flights like QF1?

 

[Quickstatus]

QF1 flies over southern Pakistan. QF2 does not use Pakistani airspace. All these routes have been pushed further south avoiding Ukraine since the MH17 attack and more recently Syria but the current routing is seem fairly direct at least for QF1

As FlightAware uses groundspeed, the way to examine for headwind/tailwind is to look at the return flight. So QF1/QF2 have a groundspeed difference between SIN and LHR in the order of about 50km/h faster for QF2. Therefore headwinds for QF1 and tailwinds for QF2. Whether that is greater than expected, I don’t know.

Certainly the approaches into LHR do not tend to include holding patterns even for flights with delayed departure from SIN

 

[Melburnian1]

QF1014, Friday 31 May 2019's scheduled 1405 hours HBA up to MEL was airborne at 1445, about 25 late. B738 VH-XZJ is arriving at 1556, 36 late. This will result ibn QF626, the 1610 hours MEL up to BNE departing an estimated 25 late.

Earlier today, QF404 and QF418, respectively the 0630 and 0900 hours MEL - SYD were cancelled.

The 1510 hours MEL - BNE, QF624 was expected to depart 35 minutes late but that time has passed.

QF454, the 1730 hours MEL - SYD has been cancelled.

 

[Melburnian1]

...Certainly the approaches into LHR do not tend to include holding patterns even for flights with delayed departure from SIN

Yes, agree. I don't look at it everyday but a rarity to see holding, if at all. Perhaps ATC may impose 'speed restrictions' though?

 

[Melburnian1]

QF626, the 31 May 2019 MEL up to BNE timetabled for a 1610 hours departure did not take off until 1704. VH-XZJ should be at its destination gate at roughly 1902 hours, 42 late. Note that two posts above, QF had estimated it would only depart 25 late so the delay has risen.

 

[Melburnian1]

The 1620 hours CBR down to MEL, QF2133, took off at 1747 with arrival suggested at 1857, 82 late for Q400 VH-QOY.

 

[Quickstatus]

Yes, agree. I don't look at it everyday but a rarity to see holding, if at all. Perhaps ATC may impose 'speed restrictions' though?

LHR have strict IAS speeds but I think the same level of compliance is also required in say an Australian port. I’ve read reports of aircraft not complying with minimum speeds.

Speed is required for lift so I don’t think ATC can slow things down too much. What is probably more important is that everyone does the speed they are told and if unable they have to let ATC very early on in the approach. Uniform speeds which are different at each stage of the approach all the way to final allows precise separation of aircraft. Anyone who does faster or slower stuffs up that separation.
@jb747 may remember

Here is a link from Airservices Australia:

http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/wp-content/uploads/Standard-Terminal-Area-Arrival-Speeds-final.pdf

 

[Melburnian1]

QF10's second sector on Friday 31 May has seen B789 VH-ZNE, the 1325 hours PER - MEL taking off at 1346, just a small number of minutes late if that, but arrival is delayed until a projected 1938 tonight, 43 late due at least partly to a holding pattern near Warracknabeal.

This aircraft should then form QF95, the 2055 hours evening redeye to LAX that remains showing as punctual, but may be 20 late or more pushing back due to the turnaround time required.

The MEL - MQL QF2086 has Q400 VH-QOY and should arrive at 2054 tonight, 34 late.

QF465 (VH-VXO, 1900 hours early evening SYD down to MEL) was airborne at 2007 with arrival suggested as 2146 hours, 71 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Winter 2019's QF delays thread kicks off with QF19, the 1 June 0910 hours MEL - NRT departing 13 late but with arrival expected at 1906, 31 late. Aircraft is A333 VH-QPB.

Earlier, QF20 arrived in SYD from MNL 31 late at 0641 hours after departing 19 late on Friday 30 May at 2019.

QF81 (1010 hours midmorning SYD - SIN) pushed back at 1034, but took an unusually long time to take off - not until 1112 for A332 VH-EBQ. Anticipated arrival is 1733, 43 behind.

The SYD - JNB QF63, the 1055 hours, often departs late but usually picks up time on a gate to gate basis. Today's pushback was 61 late at 1156 with arrival same day suggested as 1740, 40 late. This will delay the return redeye, QF64.

We don't normally report early departures but it's unusual that QF35 today from MEL to SIN managed to push back 13 early at 1142. This requires co-operation from all passengers, including those who love to spend time at AFFer JohnPhelan's 'barrrrrr'.

 

[Quickstatus]

There are many flights where all the passengers are seated and the aircraft doors closed early, but the “up the sleeve” minutes then get eaten up in some delay to takeoff.

It is very annoying.

 

[Melburnian1]

There are many flights where all the passengers are seated and the aircraft doors closed early, but the “up the sleeve” minutes then get eaten up in some delay to takeoff.

It is very annoying.

Agree, but surely often it's because the crew have not received ATC clearance to depart, or (the historical term of) "paperwork" has to be completed?

 

[Quickstatus]

Agree, but surely often it's because the crew have not received ATC clearance to depart, or (the historical term of) "paperwork" has to be completed?

Possible or also ramp congestion or other congestion down the line

 

[Melburnian1]

Saturday 1 June's QF20 (A332 VH-EBM) departed MNL at 2033, 33 late (QF19 was late) but due to inbound traffic did not take off until 2157 hours. 84 minutes from off blocks to airborne would not be a record but it's a long time, with much wasted fuel. SYD arrival on Sunday 2 was 0726, 76 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF23 (A333 VH-QPH), the 0950 hours SYD - BKK is living up to its reputation for unpunctuality with departure at 1018 and takeoff at 1041 suggesting a 35 minute late arrival at 1715 this afternoon BKK time. This is QF's worst medium distance A332/A333 route for not keeping to time. In contrast, TG476 at a similar time is most often punctual or close to it.

As yesterday's QF63 was delayed, the return redeye departed JNB as QF64 half an hour behind at 1640. Sunday 2 SYD arrival should be 1541, 46 late for this B744.

QF73, this afternoon's B744 at 1740 hours SYD - SFO is not being formed by 'the 64', but has been altered to depart 80 late at 1900, with arrival in the Cable Car City estimated as 1525, 85 minutes behind schedule. Old stager VH-OEB (that if I recall was meant to have been consigned to the USA scrapheap by now) is a whole minute late on QF4 (ex HNL) with SYD arrival at 1701, so it is becoming 'the 73.'

QF6201 is operating as what may well be a 'ferry' (empty) flight from CNS to BNE with B717 VH-YQS arrival suggested as 1216 hours. Two days ago, on Friday 31 May, this aircraft had endeavoured to travel the same route as QF1749 (the 1245 hours airborne at 1354) but it diverted back to CNS after reaching 25,000 feet. Another website suggests it was a 'technical issue' encountered.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF434 (1300 hours Sunday 2 June MEL up to SYD) has been cancelled, as has QF496, the 1745 hours on the same busy route.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF63, the 1055 hours SYD - JNB on Sunday 2 June got to southwest of Hobart after departing at 1111 hours and taking off at 1124, but has diverted to MEL. landing at 1359 hours. B744 VH-OEE is the B744. So it should be at the international terminal at about 1404.

I gather there was a medical emergency on board. (For the benefit of an AFFer who said these are not as numerous as I think, I have independently confirmed this one).

If there's a 'good' and a 'bad' time to have a severe medical problem, better to have it not far from MEL (or HBA) than a fair way southwest of Perth.

QF claims that the B744 will be off blocks in MEL at 1450 but has not given an amended arrival time for the South African major cente. Sometimes time on the ground can be longer than 46 minutes: highly variable.

With such a diversion would the aircraft also have to be topped up (the famous Quickstatus 'splash and dash?') Pilot duty time hopefully won't be an issue.

This will mean QF64 (due out of JNB tonight local time) will be hours late. While gate numbers can alter, at this stage the Monday 1455 hours timetabled QF64 arrival has VH-OEE forming the 2050 hours SYD - HND (QF25), not QF73 at 1740 to SFO or QF3 at 1915 ex SYD to HNL. So at this stage, with a six hour timetabled turnaround in lieu of the minimum of about an hour and 40 minutes, Monday 3 June evening's QF25 should be OK for a punctual departure. I'd keep an eye on 'the 63' though.

UPDATE: As at 1513 hours, QF63 did not appear to have departed MEL.

 

[Quickstatus]

A Splash and Dash wont take long. The takeoff, diversion and landing used perhaps 5t for takeoff, 25t for the time in the air, 2 t for approach and landing. = 37T??

A pilot will be about to give a more accurate estimate.

Now that it is in MEL, the overall required fuel will be less than if starting from SYD, maybe 1hr less cruise fuel. So maybe needs to uplift 20-25T?. Does the aircraft need to uplift that fuel?. As a passenger on a flight which takes the aircraft as far south as the outskirts of the Antartica, I would hope the aircraft departs with full fuel. I hate range anxiety.
I dont know how long it would take to upllift fuel of 25T. The 747-400 has 8 refuelling points but i dont believe all 8 will be used at a time. Ive heard a figure of 1-1.5T per refuelling point per minute so i dont think the refuelling will take long. I suspect the rate limiting step in these cases would be in the Flight deck going through the preflight checklists, fuel calculations, resubmission of flightplan and other paperwork. The retrieval of the sick passenger AND their luggage and the refuelling should be don before then. So while they are doing the paperwork and all the other stuff might as well top up the fuel tanks.

Bear in mind the sick passenger may be travelling with another person/s and if everyone in the party/family decides to also get off, their luggage will also need to be offloaded.

 

[Melburnian1]

A Splash and Dash wont take long....The retrieval of the sick passenger AND their luggage and the refuelling should be don before then. Bear in mind the sick passenger may be travelling with another person/s and if everyone in the party/family decides to also get off, their luggage will also need to be offloaded.

Unfortunately, no guarantee that the passenger's (plus family's?) luggage will be in the first lot of ULDs (containers) unloaded. Then some poor sod has to possibly pull out lots of other suitcases and backpacks to retrieve said items.

By the way, 25 + 5 + 2 = 32 not 37 tonnes, but you may have cleverly added another five tonnes of fuel for the forthcoming takeoff from not so sunny MEL.

 

[Quickstatus]

I think they can match the luggage tags to a specific container.
I dont think I have ever seen a slpash and dash on a 747 or 380 with retrieval of luggage under 1 hour.

Then there is weather considerations - MEL I think may have some rain?. Plus the allocation of a departure slot etc etc. Many planets need to be aligned to ensure timely departure.

The typical non medical splash and dash usually does not require the retrieval of passenger luggage even if some passengers disembark because the aircraft actually splashed and dashed at their home port (say a QF93 A380 LAX-MEL S&D at SYD and the SYD bound passengers got off). Even then the S&D takes over 1 hour.