Media reports - Nine Group - today indicate that QF9 is diverting via Afghanistan until further notice due to the Iran/Iraq situation and hence is flying with 90 fewer passengers, so a maximum number of just 146.
Plenty of room to stretch out on the empty, but narrow Nightmareliner whY seats if one is still conveyed.
My guess is that it is whY passengers who will bear the brunt of this.
The majority of QFi QF9 users to LHR originate in PER not MEL so how is QFi rerouting those affected?
On Thursday 9 January, QF9 departed PER nine late at 1929 hours, artiving in LHR at gate at 0538, 33 late.
Friday 10 saw it depart MEL 43 late at 1733 with the PER stop estimated as 1845 to 2010, the latter being 50 late with suggested Saturday 11 LHR arrival at 0600, 55 late. As every day is different, this net second sector loss of just five minutes is possible, but unlikely as the extra distance in the diversion must add flying time.
The QFi spokesman says no decision has yet been made as to whether in order to operate with a full payload, QF9 will stop in an Asian city to refuel.
Ditching 90 passengers must make QF9 unprofitable despite the high QFi fares.
As noted above, return working QF10 is unaffected, meaning an imbalance of passengers on the route.
Other media suggesting that the Ukraine International Boeing was shot down, however inadvertently, by a missile make this a serious ball game as initial reports simply indicated that a technical problem was the crash's cause.
