Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[milehighclub]

While not yet a delay, an evening flight - QF139 - from SYD to CHC tonight is the first time for many days that Qantas has operated an international flight. AFAIK the Federal Government is not subsidising such flights at present. Is it for a special reason such as a sporting team transferring from Oz to NZ or vice versa?

I can't find this flight anywhere on our systems. The only thing related to CHC was a freighter service from CHC today on a 330.

 

[Melburnian1]

I can't find this flight anywhere on our systems. The only thing related to CHC was a freighter service from CHC today on a 330.

mile, it's on the Sydney Airport website as a timetabled 1925 hours departure, so I assume it's carrying passengers. It's also codeshare for AA7391, BA7423, EK5045 and MU8415.

Since coronavirus commenced, the Sydney Airport flight status pages have sometimes been a jumble, with flights strangely listed out of order.

At times third party sites like FR24 seem not to show some of these flights even when another site such as FlightAware suggests they're in the air. This tells me the fine detail is missing from some airport or airline databases that others (with permission) tap into. Odd.

Today it also showed a Hi-Fly flight (as 'international') to BNE that I assume would be for Defence Force/positioning for asylum seekers/some other special charter.

Thank you for so promptly looking. Hopefully that will also occur with 'luck' in finding a new position if that's what you wish.

 

[Melburnian1]

Monday 29 June 2020 sees QF1419, the 1215 hours short hop from SYD down to wintry CBR cancelled. This leaves QF1463, a morning 0725 hours as the only scheduled flight by any airline on this route tomorrow. JQ and TT have never, IIRC, run flights between Sydney and the national capital, and VA doesn't appear to have been operating any on this route since its administration commenced near the end of April 2020.

QF1409, a 1045 hours flight to BXG (Bendigo Vic.), the first time I've seen such a flight for months, has also been cancelled.

This leaves 21 other QFd flights showing as departing from SYD tomorrow, quite an increase from previously and somewhat more of a 'network' with centres like ARM, DBO and pQQ all having their own flights, rather than in some cases previously during coronavirus none or alternatively shared with another destination in rural NSW.

One question mark is how much negativity re Melbourne's continuing rise in coronavirus cases and urgings from the NSW Premier not to travel to Victoria will crimp demand. Maybe not so much tomorrow, because passengers will have booked and paid prior to these oral warnings, but it could reduce demand in the future.

 

[Melburnian1]

Monday 29 June 2020 has QF517 - B738 VH-XZL - as the 1020 hours mid morning BNE down to SYD that did not become airborne until 1226 hours. Arrival was 1344 hours, 109 minutes behind the timetable. This aircraft had overnighted in BNE after arriving from MKY, so no obvious reason for the tardiness. Yesterday it was around an hour late on a BNE - ISA - BNE return trip but then recovered time on the MKY leg to be only 23 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF462 (afternoon 1600 hours MEL up to SYD, Tuesday 30 June 2020) has been cancelled. QFd has 12 other 'own metal' flights ex MEL tomorrow that have been timetabled. There are no QFd flights to ADL or CNS, probably casualties of border travel bans suppressing demand even more. However, there is one to LST, despite Tassie also being 'closed off', albeit only a Q400.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Tuesday 30 June 2020, QF1463 (0725 hours SYD - CBR) with Q400 VH-LQQ took off at 0930 hours. I assume CBR had fog.

Later, QF1419, the 1215 hours on the same route got the flick.

 

[flydoc]

Despite the minimal domestic network schedule during COVID-19, QF858 (the scheduled 0900 SYD-ASP) departed 281 min late at 1341 AEST and made up 14 min on the journey. B738 VH-XZC will continue as QF858 ASP-DRW this evening and return tomorrow, perhaps also a little late depending on crew rest requirements. It last operated on 30/6/20, as QF859 ASP-SYD.

 

[Melburnian1]

Despite the minimal domestic network schedule during COVID-19, QF858 (the scheduled 0900 SYD-ASP) departed 281 min late at 1341 AEST and made up 14 min on the journey. B738 VH-XZC will continue as QF858 ASP-DRW this evening and return tomorrow, perhaps also a little late depending on crew rest requirements. It last operated on 30/6/20, as QF859 ASP-SYD.

flydoc, interesting as on occasion I've also noticed very late flights despite aircraft sometimes not having previously been used that day.

Sometimes earlier in the day there might be fog, or at any time thunderstorms, but given relatively benign werather one wonders how flights can be so tardy unless the aircraft is found to have failed shortly before it was due to depart, and no other is available since many have been stabled since mid to late March 2020.

 

[Melburnian1]

Friday 3 July 2020 has seen QF2040 (Q400 VH-LQF) take off from SYD at 1012, arriving DBO at 1108, 98 minutes behind schedule. The return flight QF2041 arrived back in Sydney at 1233 hours, also 98 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF83, an 0830 hours from SYD to SIN is showing on the Sydney Airport site as 'cancelled' for Saturday 4 April 2020.

Wonder if AFFers who work for QFi such as milehighclub can see this one on the internal database? Usually these cancelled flights are not shown on airport websites unless cancelled close to departure date. One that was given the bullet by the timetablers a few weeks ago due to COVID-19 travel bans and restrictions would not normally be visible.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 5 July 2020 during coronavirus, QF470, the 1700 hours late afternoon MEL - SYD has been cancelled.

Earlier, QF451, a 1430 hours mid afternoon SYD - MEL also got the boot.

 

[Melburnian1]

In three hours (i.e. midnight on Monday 6 July) due to some health order (from NSW), it won't be possible for Victorians (unless exempted, or emergency services) to cross the Vic/NSW border. The official 'shut' comes 24 hours later.

QF431, the Tuesday 7 July 2020 SYD - MEL at 0930 hours from the mainland harbour city has been cancelled.

The QF CEO and Board won't be pleased that its normally by far busiest and most profitable route will have so few flights for an indeterminate period.

The NSW and Victorian Premiers (and the Prime Minister) have not given a date when 'the border' will reopen, but the growing number of COVID-19 cases seen in Victoria won't be helpful for prosecuting the case for more flights as the Sydney Airport CEO tried to do on Saturday 4 July in media like 'The Australian' and Nine Group weekend newspapers (although he was more referring to international flights, being at that stage as we all were unaware that Vic/NSW border would close).

Victorians are unwanted and unloved by the rest of Oz!

 

[Melburnian1]

Reflecting how (as 'The Herald Sun' puts it) Victorians are shortly to be completely in exile, on Wednesday 8 July 2020, QF2148, the 0830 hours morning MEL - CBR has been cancelled.

So has QF610, the 0920 hours tomorrow to BNE.

The small number of Australians who are allowed to travel between SYD and MEL (due to the border closure) will further increase QFd's (and VA 2.0d's) losses from the pandemic, as usually this is the most profitable 'golden triangle' route.

 

[Melburnian1]

With the NSW/Victoria border closure commencing, on Wednesday 8 July 2020, QF2148, the 0830 hours MEL - CBR (not in NSW, but close) has been cancelled, as has QF610, the 0920 hours to BNE.

 

[Melburnian1]

One of the most unusual 'delays' I've ever seen is for reopening of the NSW/Queensland border at 1200 'high noon' on Friday 10 July 2020:

(from 'The Australian' online Thursday 9 July):

'Airline passengers arriving into Brisbane prior to Friday’s midday reopening of the Queensland border will be required to remain at the airport until noon.

Only essential travellers or returning residents will be allowed out prior to midday, meaning a 4.5-hour wait for passengers of Qantas flight QF500 from Sydney, and a 3.5-hour wait for Virgin Australia passengers on flight VA909.

Jetstar has pushed back its morning flight out of Sydney, so it arrives at 12.10pm rather than 7.40pm.

Restrictions do not apply to arrivals from intrastate airports.'

 

[Melburnian1]

QF440, the 1200 'high noon' MEL up to SYD on Friday 10 July 2020 has been cancelled.

There are only eight remaining QFd 'own metal' flights left out of MEL today.

 

[Melburnian1]

With the NSW/Victorian border closed for 40 more days, on Saturday 11 July 2020, QF is operating seven SYD to MEL flights, a high number considering the small number of Victorians who are eligible to travel. NSW residents can travel freely but on return to Sydney (or elsewhere in NSW) apparently must quarantine for a fortnight.

Seven flights is however well down on a 'normal' Saturday that IIRC is around 20-25 flights, far fewer than on weekdays when QFd used to operate around about 35-37.

Subsidiary JQd is down to only one SYD - MEL flight today as its others have been cancelled (at fairly short notice, otherwise they would not appear on Sydney Airport's site).

 

[Melburnian1]

On Monday 13 July 2020, QF773, the 0935 hours MEL across to PER departed at 1021, taking off at 1032 hours. A333 VH-QPD should arrive at 1227 hours, 42 minutes late. The plane had arrived Melbourne 13 late at 0848 hours on QF409 ex SYD, so not sure why the delay in MEL.

Yesterday, this aircraft only operated one MEL - SYD flight, while on Saturday 11 all it did was a PER to MEL.This is a small example as to how during the pandemic, 'active' aircraft may have far fewer duties than in pre-COVID-19 times.

Victoria's 42 day lockdown means that about 30 per cent of domestic airline passengers have 'disappeared', resulting in even lower utilisation of fleets.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF440, the timetabled 1200 'high noon' MEL - SYD on Tuesday 14 July 2020 has been cancelled.

This means QFd will only operate four flights ex MEL tomorrow: one each to CBR, LST, PER and SYD.

JQd has cancelled all flights except one MEL up to SYD.

There is no QF Group (or VA!) flight from MEL to ADL tomorrow, and nothing either from MEL to BNE, the latter normally being Australia's third busiest air route for passengers.

Given that Brisbane and Adelaide are respectively Australia's third and fifth largest cities, that's an amazing, unforeseeable situation. Perhaps not 'unparalleled' - the QF Group staff lockout in 2011 may have seen this occur, but it wasn't a six week (42 day) 'lockdown.'

No better at VAd, which has one flight to PER and one to SYD tomorrow.

Victoria's 42 day lockdown is really starting to 'bite.'

AFFer justinbrett suggested in another thread that if COVID-19 case numbers in Melbourne continued to be of concern, passenger numbers MEL - SYD would continue declining. He's correct, but adding to this is the worry in Sydney about that 'Casula Hotel cluster.' As a percentage of the population, coronavirus cases are low, and many will wonder if we're sacrificing the economy (including transport providers and their staff and contractors) and overreacting. A contentious debate.

Even with experience of the first lockdown, it's difficult to imagine many of us could have foreseen that things would get even worse in July 2020. If I thought about it at all, my reaction was 'it can't get any worse than March 2020.'

This inability to operate passenger transport services to and from Australia's second largest city (and not far behind #1, Sydney) would be crimping the Qantas CEO's efforts to bring losses down to '$40 million a week.' The media had suggested he was making good progress but that almost certainly needs revision.

 

[Melburnian1]

A week ago, A388 VH-OQA departed SYD on Friday 10 July 2020 for storage at southern California's VCV (Victorville).

Today (17 July) that same flight QF6003 has seen VH-OQL on this 1315 hours flight take off at 1351. Expected arrival is about 35 late.

This may be further formal recognition by QFi that international flights will be grounded for another nine months (or more) given that as discussed elsewhere on AFF and in the media, QFi has cancelled these until the end of March 2021.