Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

QF778 (Wednesday 6 January 2021, the 1155 hours PER - MEL (A333 VH-QPD) took off at 1213, only about five minutes late, but is arriving at 1850 hours, half an hour behind schedule. QF642 is the 1130 hours PER across to SYD, airborne at 1202 (roughly 17-20 minutes tardy) with arrival for VH-QPJ suggested as 1905, 35 behind.

 

[Melburnian1]

milehighclub, out of interest with the smaller number of flights to/from SYD due to State (and ongoing international!) border closures, what's the operating fleet position of the passenger fleet of QFd/QFi as of today?

We know: A388 - nil operating.

A333 - most, typically 8 or 9 out of 10, but some constantly on international (and sometimes interstate) freighter duties that don't carry passengers

A332 - minimal if any, last report I had was one only

B738 - at one stage recently, 44 out of 75 but IIRC had risen to c.55 at some stage in early December 2020 prior to State border shuts. Some are only being used every second day, of which examples on 6 January were VH-VYE, VH-VYI and VH-VYJ among others.

B717

Q400

Q300

Q200

 

[Melburnian1]

Thursday 7 January 2021 has seen QF769, the 0720 hours early morning MEL to PER cancelled. This is probably the result of the WA border (again) being closed to Victorians.

QF2304 (1445 hours TSV - CNS) took off at 1532 with Q400 VH-LQF. Arrival is predicted as 1622 hours, 42 minutes tardy.

QF2058, the scheduled 1850 hours MEL arrival from DPO and LST was cancelled, as was QF2286 from the same two origins. There must be something awry down Northern Tasmania way.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF518, the 1105 hours SYD - BNE on Friday 8 January 2021 has been cancelled.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with 8 January, QF881 (B738 VH-VXM, the 1350 hours OOL down to MEL) was up up and away at 1431, so expected arrival has become 1730 hours, half an hour behind.

VH-XZP has the 'retro' livery and is also behind time, as it operates QF703 from CNS down to MEL, the 1430 hours airborne at 1523, about 40 late. Arrival is predicted at 1928, 43 minutes tardy.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF2051, Saturday 9 January 20201's 0715 hours MEL - DPO took off at 0820 so was about 45 late arriving.

QF2053 (1045 hours on the same route) is expected to depart at 1115.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Saturday 9 January 2021, QF788 (0900 hours BNE - HTI) was in the sky at 0947. B738 VH-VZM should arrive 43 minutes late at 1113 hours.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 10 January 2021, presumably due to the 'enforced long weekend' Brisbane stay-at-home restrictions, QF614 and QF618, the 1220/1320 hours MEL - BNE flights have got the boot. So has QF624 at 1520.

 

[Melburnian1]

A further 10 January cancellation was QF606, the 0820 hours MEL up to BNE.

 

[Melburnian1]

Q300 VH-SBT operating the newbie flight, QF2195 from SYD down to MIM on Monday 11 January 2021 was timetabled to depart at 1100. It was airborne at 1145 hours, arriving at 1243, 38 late. After the usual prompt turnaround with these smaller aircraft, QF 2196, the 1225 hours, took off at 1311 with arrival back in SYD suggested as 1417 hours, 42 minutes behind the timetable. It had arrived 21 early at 0929 hours in SYD this morning as QF2222 ex WGA, so not sure why the delay.

The afternoon 1635 hours SYD - ADL, QF743 has been cancelled.

 

[Melburnian1]

Later on 11 January 2021, the final northbound MEL - SYD in a very sparse QFd schedule, QF490, the 1930 hours is expected to depart 45 minutes late. While A333 VH-QPF was only 14 minutes late (1044 hours) arriving in PER this morning as QF773 from Melbourne, its return, QF778 (the 1155 hours) did not become airborne until 1322 so expected arrival in the Victorian capital is 1934, 74 late. A projected 41 minute turnaround in MEL for this A333 seems optimistic. As discussed elsewhere on AFF (and also previously by me herein), these rotations (together with QF409, the 0700 hours ex SYD) are presently the only option to fly between SYD-MEL-PER and return on a widebody, as QFd mostly uses B738s while VAd no longer has widebodies in its fleet.

UPDATE: QF778 managed to arrive at its MEL gate at 1925, 65 late. QF490 took off at 2027 hours, and should arrive SYD at 2132 hours mid evening, 42 minutes behind schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF2205, the 0700 hours SYD down to ABX on Tuesday 12 January had VH-SBW, but may have returned to the airport by 0800 without completing the flight. FR24 is indeterminate.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Wednesday 13 January, QFd has cancelled five of its six return flights between SYD and ADL due to the ongoing border colsure.

The only operational flights are QF735 from SYD and QF738, the 1155 hours lunchtime ADL - SYD.

A friend who was considering travelling said there only appeared to be about 10 passengers booked.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF1531 (0800 hours MEL down to HBA, B717 VH-YQS) on Thursday 14 January 2021 did not become airborne until 1002 hours, arriving at 1103, 113 minutes behind schedule. This was despite the aircraft's first flight (QF1551, the 0605 hours CBR - MEL) arriving at 0659, 11 minutes ahead.

There has been an even longer delay down in HBA with QF1532, the 0950 hours HBA up to MEL incredibly not taking off until 1528 with projected arrival shortly, at 1635 (330 minutes tardy).

These problems also appear to have led to the 1145 hours MEL - CBR (QF1558) being predicted to push back at 1700 this afternoon.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Friday 15 January 2021, B738 VH-VZZ on QF37 (0930 hours midmorning nicely timed BNE - PER) took off early at 0935 hours but is arriving at 1310, half an hour behind the timetable.

Strangely the VA competing flight, VA464, has a timetable of 0920 to 1250 - 20 minutes more than the identical QFd equipment is given. A great way to make VAd's 'officially on time' percentages look better!

 

[Melburnian1]

The Victorian Government's closure of Victoria to those in Brisbane ends at midnight on Saturday night, 16 January 2021 but on Saturday, QF606, the 0820 hours MEL - BNE was cancelled, as were QF610, the 0920 hours, QF612 at 1120 and QF624 at 1520, QF626 at 1620. That left QFd with just four northbound MEL - BNE flights today. On a 'normal' January Saturday a year ago, at a guess it may have operated at least 10 flights northbound.

 

[Melburnian1]

Sunday 17 January 2021 has seen QF2260 (Q300 VH-TQX, the 0900 hours SYD to LDH) take off at 0952 and arrive at 1146 hours, 46 minutes behind schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

Tuesday 19 January 2021 will see QF2281, the 0730 hours morning flight from MEL down the short hop across bass Strait to LST cancelled.

QF2285 on the same route at 1700 hours has also got the boot.

Also tomorrow, the first scheduled domestic flight ex SYD is not until 0645 hours (QF2221 down to WGA). A slew of 0600 hours departures have been cancelled, es[ecially by JQd. QFd always (pre-COVID) had an 0600 hours down to MEL and a number of other flights before 0645.

Today (Monday 18) these two flights also did not operate.

 

[dylarr]

Today's (29 Jan) QF1409 - Sydney to Bendigo

Very wet weather in Bendigo today. After quite a bit of vectoring a missed approach was conducted before the aircraft diverted to Albury. Currently on the ground at Albury and a flight plan submitted for the onward flight to Bendigo.

The returning QF1410 - Bendigo to Sydney will be delayed as a result.

 

[dylarr]

Tuesday 19 January 2021 will see QF2281, the 0730 hours morning flight from MEL down the short hop across bass Strait to LST cancelled.

QF2285 on the same route at 1700 hours has also got the boot.

Also tomorrow, the first scheduled domestic flight ex SYD is not until 0645 hours (QF2221 down to WGA). A slew of 0600 hours departures have been cancelled, es[ecially by JQd. QFd always (pre-COVID) had an 0600 hours down to MEL and a number of other flights before 0645.

Today (Monday 18) these two flights also did not operate.

So more troubles by the looks - the flight from Albury had two missed approaches at BXG along with some significant holding (probably for weather) and now looks to have diverted back to Sydney.

Expect to see QF1410 BXG-SYD formally cancelled as a result.

Interesting day for the Sydney - Bendigo service.