Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

While not a delay that one normally publicises - not half an hour or more - QF439, the scheduled 1400 hours SYD - MEL (Saturday 15 February 2020) most unusually had B744 VH-OEH, becoming airborne at 1437 and arriving at 1553 hours, 18 minutes behind schedule.

It's because there's an 0800 hours Sunday 16 January Antarctica charter flight that returns to MEL at 2100 hours. The flight number is QF2907.

 

[Melburnian1]

In another thread, AFFer Princess Fiona says QF9 (due to arrive LHR on morning of Sunday 16 February 2020) is cancelled due to Storm Dennis adversely affecting UK/European flights.

Strangely though, QF1 from SYD and SIn to LHR remains operating and has departed SYD.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF1 departed SYD as per usual this afternoon (Saturday 15 February) but thanks to Princess Fiona and TheInsider (AFFers), it is being held in SIN until an expected 0100 hours departure on Monday 17 (not Sunday 16, as I erroneously suggested in another thread) on account of Storm Dennis that is reeking havoc in the UK and Europe.

QF2 ex LHR is displaying as operating on Saturday evening (15) so presumably QF2 is deferred on Sunday night until at least Monday morning. This alteration has yet to appear on the QF website.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 16 February, QF30 arrived MEL (ex HKG) 38 minutes early at 0657 hours. It is forming QF29, the 0935 hours ex MEL back to HKG but this departed at 1029, 54 late. Arrival should be half an hour behind at 1635.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF1 departed SYD as per usual this afternoon (Saturday 15 February) but...it is being held in SIN until an expected 0100 hours departure on Monday 17... on account of Storm Dennis that is reeking havoc in the UK and Europe.

QF2 ex LHR is displaying as operating on Saturday evening (15) so presumably QF2 is deferred on Sunday night until at least Monday morning. This alteration has yet to appear on the QF website.

The overnight delayed QF1 should arrive LHR at 0700 hours on Monday 17, 1485 minute slate.

The 2035 hours Saturday 16 departure from London becomes a proposed 0925 hours on Monday 17, with the SIN stop from 0610 to 0735 on Tuesday 18 and consequent SYD arrival at 1835, 745 minutes late. As 'the 7' does not operate on Tuesdays, one fewer A388 is usually required, so that should ignore any need to delay an A388 QFi flight ex SYD on Tuesday.

This change to departing LHR in the morning has occurred once or twice in the past year when there have been lengthy inbound delays of 'the 1.' QF2's amended schedule is quite good, but probably impractical for other reasons to be permanent, including how business travellers paying the highest fares prefer a night time departure (and an early morning arrival in Oz.) That isn't AFFer drron's or my preference.

 

[jb747]

In another thread, AFFer Princess Fiona says QF9 (due to arrive LHR on morning of Sunday 16 February 2020) is cancelled due to Storm Dennis adversely affecting UK/European flights.

Strangely though, QF1 from SYD and SIn to LHR remains operating and has departed SYD.

I don't know whether this is part of the reason or not, but QF1 can arrive in London with sufficient fuel to divert to almost anywhere in Europe. QF9 can't.

 

[Melburnian1]

A388 VH-OQJ on QF93, the 1040 hours MEL - LAX pushed back at 1130 and promptly was airborne at 1145 hours. Expected same day at gate arrival is 0641, 31 minutes tardy.

QF2021 (Q300 VH-SBB, the 1000 mid morning ARM down to SYD not in the sky until 1208 hours) should arrive at 1313 hours, 113 late. FR24 is 'confiused' but the outbound flight from SYD may have diverted via TMW. The BOM site shows significant rain in a small area around Armidale so it may have had an earlier thunderstorm.

The 1110 hours SYD - LAX (appropriately, QF11) departed 37 late with same day arrival estimated as 0633, 33 minutes behind schedule. This should not hold up the connecting B789 on the crosscountry QF11 to JFK, as it is not due to start its trip until 0820 hours.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF515 on Monday 17 February 2020 is the scheduled 0835 hours morning BNE down to SYD airborne at 0919 with B738 VH-VZQ. It had to hold northwest of Singleton, so arrival is 33 late at 1143 hours. There is heavy rain near Newcastle and in the Blue Mountains, although from the BOM radar, only around Richmond (NSW) not the centre of Sydney.

 

[Melburnian1]

A333 VH-QPI arrived in NRT (ex BNE) at 1721 hours, nine minutes early, on Sunday 16 February as QF61.

However when forming QF80,. the 1920 hours redeye down to MEL, it did not take off until 2109 hours, resulting in Monday 17 February arrival at 0858, 63 behind. It formed its own, then pushing back at 1050 - not a fast turnaround - and taking off at 1102 hours with suggested arrival tonight in the early evening at 1845 hours, 65 minutes behind the timetable. QF then suggests tonight it will operate QF62, the 1930 hours to BNE altered to depart at 2000 for Tuesday 18 arrival in the Sunshine State at its allocated gate at around 0615 hours, 35 behind schedule.

For outsiders to QFi, there doesn't seem to be a set pattern as to whether 'the 61' forms 'the 80' or 'the 62', and the same applies to QF79. So if one knows one of these northbounds is delayed, don't assume if waiting in Tokyo for a southbound that you won't be affected.

 

[Melburnian1]

As the Saturday 15 February 1920 hours PER - LHR QF9 was cancelled due to Storm Dennis, QF10 on Sunday 16 has been cancelled from LHR to PER, while its continuation to MEL (Monday 17, 1400 hours timetabled ex PER) is also inoperable.

The Saturday ex SYD QF1D that was held in SIN departed on Monday 17 at 0103 from the Lion City with LHR arrival suggested as 0719 hours, 1504 minutes late. It should still form QF2D at 0925 hours ex 'The City.'

QF2021 (Q300 VH-SBW) is arriving SYD (ex ARM) at 1240 hours, 80 minutes late.

QF11 (1110 hours SYD - LAX A388 on Monday) had not departed by 1220 hours. The BOM radar indicates heavy rain around Hornsby and Richmond, but not at Sydney Airport as at 1220 hours.

 

[Melburnian1]

In more on Monday 17 February, QF2171, the 1350 hours late lunchtime PQQ - SYD that was not up up and away until 1505 hours and which has Q300 VH-SBW) should arrive at 1611 hours, 61 minutes tardy.

 

[NSun]

QF7 to Dallas, operated today by VH-OQH left at 1604 - 84 minutes behind schedule. It is expected to arrive into Dallas at 1.44pm - 49 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Earlier on Monday 17 February, the 1135 hours SYD - JNB (B744) was expected by QF to push back at 1200 'high noon.' This became 1225, so arrival should be (same day) 1705, half an hour late.

 

[Melburnian1]

The Saturday 15 February QF1 that was held in SIN for more than 24 hours due to Storm Dennis arrived LHR at 0730 hours, 1520 minutes late, on Monday 17.

A388 VH(OQL then departed LHR at 0941 hours on 17 February (786 minutes tardy) with the SIN stop estimated as 0547 to 0735 on Tuesday 18 and eventual SYD arrival at 1835, 745 minutes behind schedule.

QFi has two A388s under refurbishment in DRS at present but because QF7 doesn't operate on Tuesday and QF127/128 have become either a B744 or A330 depending on the day,, in theory it should have sufficient A388s for 'the 1' on Tuesday afternoon to depart punctually.

However QF1 tomorrow is displaying as a 210 minutes late, 2030 mid evening departure with the SIN stop 0120 to 0245 hours on Wednesday and LHR arrival at 0855 hours, 160 late. It is not departing SYD from the same gate as the delayed QF2 arrival.

 

[NSun]

QF127 which was meant to be operated by a 747, is cancelled today. The return QF128 will presumably follow but is not showing up on Flight Radar 24 as cancelled yet. Not exactly clear why. The 747 fleet is tight with just 5 jumbos left:
VH-OEE: Did QF64 yesterday and is sitting on the ground in Sydney
VH-OEG: Did QF25 overnight and fly back from Tokyo QF26 tonight.
VH-OEH: Flying QF64 back from JNB and won't get back until 3.28pm
VH-OEI: Flying back from Tokyo and set to do QF63 to JNB today
VH-OEJ: Been sitting on the ground in Sydney since doing QF26 on Sunday night.

While either OEE or OEJ could've done it, one will do QF27 to SCL and potentially one will do the charter flight from Japan.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF127 which was meant to be operated by a 747, is cancelled today. The return QF128 will presumably follow but is not showing up on Flight Radar 24 as cancelled yet. Not exactly clear why. The 747 fleet is tight with just 5 jumbos left:..

Often the QF site doesn't show cancellations of return flights until later (although usually still, where time permits, many hours in advance of the scheduled departure time.)

With delays, sometimes the site doesn't adjust the expected (delayed) time of arrival until the aircraft has reached cruising altitude. Presumably this is so it can give the most accurate prediction, as taxiing times can vary from very prompt to creating further delay from (air) 'traffic.'

FR24 like Google and others relies on either information sent by aircraft transponders, the airline or other sites like FlightStatus.

One of our aviators once commented that transponder transmissions can be adversely affected by buildings, typically terminals at airfields.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Tuesday 18 February, QF402 (the 0745 hours MEL up to SYD airborne at 0952 hours with B738 VH-VZU) should arrive at 1107 hours, 117 minutes late.

The 2355 hours SIN - LHR QF2 on Monday 17 departed only three minutes late but Tuesday arrival is predicted as 0650, 35 minutes behind.

QF2450 (0740 hours BNE to mining town MOV) took off at 0910. Q400 VH-LQQ should arrive at 1041 hours, 76 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

One that was missed yesterday (Monday 17 February) was Q200 VH-TQG on QF2192, the scheduled 1715 hours SYD to another location where recent rains have been good, MRZ. It took off at 1750 but diverted back to SYD, with QF2193, the 1915 hours MRZ - SYD then cancelled. The general weather on BOM site suggests that winds had picked up at Moree from gusts of 28kmh to 57kmh, so maybe too hazardous to land? Looking at its flight path, it flew across to Walgett of all places. I've been there: not exactly the centre of the universe (though in a good year, an important graingrowing area.)

 

[Melburnian1]

QF127 which was meant to be operated by a 747, is cancelled today. The return QF128 will presumably follow but is not showing up on Flight Radar 24 as cancelled yet. Not exactly clear why. The 747 fleet is tight with just 5 jumbos left:..

By 1130 AEDT, the cancellation of tonight's QF128 from HKG to SYD was publicly displaying on the QF website.

 

[Melburnian1]

The Saturday 15 February QF1 that was held in SIN for more than 24 hours due to Storm Dennis arrived LHR at 0730 hours, 1520 minutes late, on Monday 17.

A388 VH(OQI?) then departed LHR at 0941 hours on 17 February (786 minutes tardy) with the SIN stop estimated as 0547 to 0735 on Tuesday 18 and eventual SYD arrival at 1835, 745 minutes behind schedule...

This delayed QF2 (A388 VH-OQL, not 'OQI') was in SIN on Tuesday 18 from 0548 to 0729 hours with arrival in SYD tonight likely at 1806, so a little better than QFi had estimated.

A388 VH-OQE doesn't appear to have operated any passenger flights since arriving as QF8 this morning in SYD at 0612 hours, seven minutes late. It's unclear why it could not have formed a punctual QF1 at 1700 hours to SIN and LHR, instead of the 210 minute advised delay.

QF616 (B738 VH-VZL, 1210 hours lunchtime MEL up to BNE) was in the sky at 1257, so predicted at gate arrival is 1352 hours, 32 minutes behind schedule.