Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

MEL is at the top of FR24's worldwide minutes of delay rankings late on Thursday 5 March (local time) as QF696 (B738 VH-VYI, the 1925 hours from ADL airborne at 1955) arrives at 2212, 57 late. The aircraft had to hold south of Warracknabeal for a while.

The SYD - MEL QF465 (the 1900 hours with VH-VZB in the sky at 2035) is arriving at approximately 2236, 121 late after holding for about three racecourse-like circuits in the usual position ATC mandates above Mt Buller. Nearby Mt Buffalo has had more than 200mm of rain in two days that for Victoria is a very large total.

Another SYD - MEL, QF487 has VH-XZB with a 75 minute tardy arrival at 2250 hours on the cards, despite it taking off 54 minutes after its scheduled 2000 hours evening pushback.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Friday 6 March 2020, QF678 (VH-VXF), the 1105 hours ADL - MEL airborne at 1203) is arriving at 1337, 42 minutes behind its schedule.

The 1040 hours MEL - LAX QF93 did not depart until 1335 hours this afternoon, so expected same day arrival at gate should be 0835 hours, 145 minutes tardy. The aircraft is A388 VH-OQJ that arrived on QF94 at 0954 hours, only four minutes late. AS QF36 was still also an Airbus A380 (VH-OQH) that arrived MEL at 0604 hours (also four minutes late), it's unclear to me why OQH wasn't able to run 'the 93.'

The B744 on the 1135 hours SYD - JNB QF63 (VH-OEE) was also badly late, not pushing back until 1358 with same day arrival suggested as 1805 hours, 90 minutes behind schedule. This will delay the redeye return, QF64.

QF9, the 1650 hours MEL - PER - LHR has had both sectors cancelled on Friday 6 March 2020. Unusual, but the Thursday 5 March QF10 (1155 hours LHR - PER) was also cancelled, and its second sector, Friday's 1400 hours afternoon flight PER to MEL has also got the gong. It seems B789 VH-ZND (that arrived LHR on Thursday 5 March early morning) is still there, perhaps defective.

It's possible some from the abandoned QF9 (ex MEL passengers) may 'go forward' to SIN on QF37 at 1720 hours to connect to QF1 that's come in from SYD with destination LHR.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF2084 (Friday 6 March, the 1550 hours afternoon MEL - MQL) was airborne at 1652 with Q400 VH-QOY. Arrival should be at 1752, 52 minutes late.

The 1730 hours MEL - DPS pushed back as QF45 22 minuts behind schedule with arrival forecast 34 late at 2104 mid evening, slightly delaying QF46, the redeye back down to MEL.

 

[Melburnian1]

Later on 6 March, QF563 (1805 hours early evening BNE down to SYD airborne at 1950 with B738 VH-XZK) should arrive at 2204, 84 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF8, the Thursday 5 March 1945 hours A388-operated DFW long flight across to SYD departed an hour late. Saturday 7 arrival is expected at 0710, 65 behind.

QF64 on Friday 6 is forecast to depart JNB 70 minutes tardy at 2000 hours with Saturday 7 SYD arrival becoming an estimated 1640, also 65 down. Thios is because as noted above 'the 63' was delayed today.

UPDATE: 'The 64' departed at 2018 with SYD Saturday 7 arrival suggested as 1640, 65 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with 7 March 2020, QF10, the 1400 hours PER across to MEL pushed back at 1435 with predicted arrival the same amount late at 2100 hours.

Earlier, QF35 also departed 35 late from MEL as SIN arrival was adjusted to a likely 1745, 40 minutes tardy.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF444 (mid afternoon 1530 hours MEL up to SYD, Sunday 8 March 2020) has been cancelled.

With its new timings due to USA time changes, QF12, the LAX - SYD arrived on 8 March at 0938 hours, 63 minutes tardy.

 

[Melburnian1]

Later on Sunday 8 March, QF9 (1650 hours afternoon MEL - PER) pushed back 61 minutes late. The PER stop is estimated as 1833 (43 late) to - unrealistically - 1935, the latter only 15 minute stardy. From observation this intermediate stop has typically taken 90 minutes: on a few occasions, it has been trimmed down to about 85. That means likely pushback in the West at about 2000 with LHR Monday 9 arrival approximately 0530 hours.

 

[moa999]

VH-ZND which was stuck in London for a few days operated QF10 and is now off as QF95 so the 787 fleet should be back to normal

 

[Melburnian1]

QF2020, the 0820 hours morning Monday 9 March SYD - ARM was expected to depart at 0915 but has become even later.

Today is a public holiday in Victoria and Tasmania so lower numbers of flights SYD to MEL is the norm. QF431, the 1200 'high noon' SYD - MEL has been cancelled.

In the opposite direction, QF424 (1030 hours MEL - SYD) is not running.

QF536, the afternoon 1600 hours SYD - BNE has also got the boot.

 

[Melburnian1]

Later on 9 March, QF61, the morning 0925 hours BNE up to NRT departed only five minutes late, but was not airborne until 1019 - an unusually long pushback/taxiing period - so arrival is estimated at 1811 hours, 41 late. A333 VH-QPD has the honours.

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

When is Melbourne airport going to be operating properly? Every week there's at least 20 mins ATC delay on my 453. QF seem to book Mildura and Devenport connections on this and every week these pax have to sprint to the QLink gates.

 

[Melburnian1]

When is Melbourne airport going to be operating properly? Every week there's at least 20 mins ATC delay on my 453. QF seem to book Mildura and Devenport connections on this and every week these pax have to sprint to the QLink gates.

You're referring to how it arrived almost half an hour late tonight after departing SYD about five late.

Causes vary. 'Bad weather', departing Sydney late because the aircraft was delayed on arrival there, ATC mandated 'controlled departures' meaning a later slot time even if ready to push back, staff not in position, aircraft defective and requiring repairs, passengers failing to board and luggage requiring removal from the hold...so many causes.

Occasionally airline check-in systems fail (more so with VAd it seems than QFd) and thankfully even less frequently, someone is stupid enough to somehow breach security in the terminal meaning everyone has to go out to the public area and reenter. It's quite a while since I've read of the latter occurring in Australia.

Then in adverse weather MEL may be on single runway operations. Lighning may cause a temporary shutdown of airport and airline operations. Not helping is that the time you are scheduled to arrive, 1835, is normally busy (except on Saturdays, and as a rule of thumb slightly less busy on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.) I haven't looked but you may have been in a holding position above Mt Buller for a while.

I'll have omitted many possible causes.

Some passengers may be HLO but it doesn't sound like hold luggage makes it onto the QantasLink MQL or DPO flights.

 

[Melburnian1]

Tuesday 10 March 2020 will see QF488, the 0845 hours MEL - SYD cancelled. Dangerous to make generalisations but when 15 minute frequency flights on this route are scheduled, the 'XX15' or 'XX45' departures both ways seem a little more likely to be cancelled than the '00' or '30' ones, probably because so many secretaries/PAs book their bosses on the easier to remember ones.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF45, the late afternoon nicely timed MEL - DPS on Tuesday 10 March 2020 departed 40 late at 1810 hours so predicted at gate arrfival is half an hour behind at 2100 hours. Aircraft is B738 VH-VZK that didn't waste any time in taking off at 1819 hours. It had arrived in MEL at 1640, 25 late on QF156 ex AKL.

 

[jb747]

When is Melbourne airport going to be operating properly? Every week there's at least 20 mins ATC delay on my 453. QF seem to book Mildura and Devenport connections on this and every week these pax have to sprint to the QLink gates.

Never. There is zero incentive for the owner to fix any of the issues.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF1581 (11 March 2020, the scheduled 1125 hours MCY down to SYD airborne at 1222) should arrive at 1444 hours, 34 late. Aircraft is B717 VH-YQV.

The 1500 hours MEL - SYD, QF442, has been cancelled.

 

[milehighclub]

QF94 is going via BNE tonight.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF94 is going via BNE tonight.

On Tuesday 10 March, it departed LAX 42 minutes late at 2332 and should arrive BNE at its gate at about 0610 on Thursday 12. If it say departs after 45 minutes at 0655, it could be in MEL (given the one hour time difference) at about 1000-15. This should just be in sufficient time to form a punctual QF35 to SIN, the 1210 hours early lunchtime flight that soon will no longer be an A388 (though neither will QF94.)

 

[Melburnian1]

QF548 (Wednesday 11 March, the 1900 hours SYD north to BNE - B738 VH-XZP) took off at 2002 so predicted arrival is 49 minutes late at 2019.

Earlier, QF7 departed 131 minutes behind schedule from SYD at 1551 so DFW predicted at gate arrival is 1430 hours, 95 minutes late.

The 1650 hours SYD to DPS (QF43) was 41 minutes late in departing its gate with arrival suggested as 2035 hours, 35 minutes tardy.