Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

On Wednesday 12 January 2022, QF9, the 1845 hours MEL - LHR via DRW took off at a much delayed 2130 with B789 VH-ZNE, arriving in the NT capital at 2354 hours, 149 minutes late. The second sector saw the flight airborne at 0235 hours on Thursday 13, exceeding the timetabled allownace, so LHR arrival today is expected at about 1021 BST, 211 minutes late.

This is likely to delay the 1120 hours LHR - DRW - SYD QF10 by at least 45 minutes in pushback.

 

[Melburnian1]

QFi claims that the delayed QF10 will depart LHR only half an hour late at 1150. This may be a tad optimistic.

UPDATE: VH-ZNE took off from LHR at 1226 hours so arrival in DRW on Friday 14 January 2022 should be at 1351, 36 minutes late, not a bad effort considering the huge inbound delay to LHR.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Friday 14 and Sunday 16 January 2022, QF67 from SYD to DEL via ADL (and the return QF68) were/are cancelled. This is the first time these flights have got the gong on two out of three consecutive scheduled operating days. (It operated today).

I don't know if it's unavailability of crew due to COVID-19, low bookings, unavailability of aircraft or some other reason. Air quality, not for the first time, is poor in New Delhi but there doesn't appear to be any other weather-related reason.

QF69 MEL - ADL - DEL and the return nonstop QF70 were cancelled on Monday 10 so that's three India flights not operating in a week.

 

[blacksultan]

On Friday 14 and Sunday 16 January 2022, QF67 from SYD to DEL via ADL (and the return QF68) were/are cancelled. This is the first time these flights have got the gong on two out of three consecutive scheduled operating days. (It operated today).

I don't know if it's unavailability of crew due to COVID-19, low bookings, unavailability of aircraft or some other reason. Air quality, not for the first time, is poor in New Delhi but there doesn't appear to be any other weather-related reason.

QF69 MEL - ADL - DEL and the return nonstop QF70 were cancelled on Monday 10 so that's three India flights not operating in a week.

There are reports that outbound flight had to be cancelled because of lesser loads because of arrival caps by india .

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 16 January 2022, B738 VH-XZH on QF101, the 0835 hours early morning SYD - NAN took off at 1006 with suggested arrival 72 minutes late at 1457.

DQ and JQ flights to NAN are also delayed today. I don't know if this is due to the large waves Tonga has recently suffered and consequent fears of a tsunami in the Pacific. From a quick look the weather in Fiji today looks benign.

 

[OATEK]

On Sunday 16 January 2022, B738 VH-XZH on QF101, the 0835 hours early morning SYD - NAN took off at 1006 with suggested arrival 72 minutes late at 1457.

DQ and JQ flights to NAN are also delayed today. I don't know if this is due to the large waves Tonga has recently suffered and consequent fears of a tsunami in the Pacific. From a quick look the weather in Fiji today looks benign.

Just wanted to say it's almost like old times to have your bulletins in my inbox @Melburnian1.

 

[Melburnian1]

Just wanted to say it's almost like old times to have your bulletins in my inbox @Melburnian1.

Thanks so much. I had decided to take a break as I perceived to post so much was becoming obsessive.

However that is not to criticise those who do: it's more this wasn't at the top of activities I 'ought' be doing, such as tidying the garden (and travel, but that became rather difficult).

 

[Melburnian1]

QF2, the 0950 hours LHR - DRW on Saturday 15 January took off at 1037, arriving on Sunday 16 at 1246 hours, 61 minutes late with VH_ZNA. The second sector saw the aircraft in the sky at 1430, arriving SYD at 2007, 62 behind.

Also on 15, VH-ZNB on QF10 (1120 hours LHR - DRW) was pointing skywards at 1208, arriving on 16 January at 1216, also 61 late, and taking off at 1618 for arrival in MEL at 2129, 64 minutes tardy, so quite similar to QF2.

VH-ZND on the next QF2 on 16 January was airborne at 1033 but arrival is predicted much earlier in DRW at 1215, half an hour late.

Colleague VH-ZNH on the 15 January QF75 SYD - YVR was only three minutes late arriving at 1503, but QF76, the 2025 hours ex the Canadian west coast did not become airborne until 2212 meaning on Monday 17 January, SYD arrival is suggested as 0909, 154 minutes behind the timetable.

The aircraft had not been used between arriving at SYD on Wednesday 12 at 0658 (also ex YVR) and departing on 'the 75' at 2010 on Saturday 15.

Despite the resumption of some international passenger-carrying QFi flights to BKK, DEL, JHB, HND, HNL, LAX, LHR, NAN and YVR and many freight-only flights, some aircraft continue to be underutilised. This is also the case domestically.

A friend had her Japan-Oz QFi flight for February abruptly cancelled the other day.

 

[Melburnian1]

There are reports that outbound flight had to be cancelled because of lesser loads because of arrival caps by india .

QF67 (0610 hours SYD - DEL via ADL) has also been cancelled on Monday 17 January 2022.

Given QFi had boasted that bookings were very good on this new route, there must be close to 1000 outbound passengers affected by now and many inbound as well.

A quick search hasn't revealed any Indian (or Australian) media attention on these 'caps'. Is there a source document we can read?

 

[blacksultan]

QF67 (0610 hours SYD - DEL via ADL) has also been cancelled on Monday 17 January 2022.

Given QFi had boasted that bookings were very good on this new route, there must be close to 1000 outbound passengers affected by now and many inbound as well.

A quick search hasn't revealed any Indian (or Australian) media attention on these 'caps'. Is there a source document we can read?

These were reports by affected passengers .

 

[Melburnian1]

On Saturday 15 January, QF12 (2030 hours LAX - SYD, B789 VH-ZNI) took off at 2124 with arrival on Monday 17 at 0722, 62 minutes late.

16 January 2021 saw the return of an A380, in this case VH-OQB but a slightly altered timetabled departure of 2015. Takeoff was at 2120 so SYD Tuesday 18 arrival is suggested as 0653 hours, 33 minutes behind schedule. That this route still isn't daily speaks volumes about the lack of demand compared with two or three years ago.

 

[Melburnian1]

Tuesday 18 January 2022 sees QF67 (0610 early risers' SYD - ADL - DEL, A332 VH-EBO) not having taken off until 0737 hours, arriving at its intermediate stop at 0902 hours, 77 minutes tardy. The scheduled 0845 hours second sector then took off at 1017 with arrival in the Indian capital expected at 1659 hours, 79 minutes behind schedule.

Tomorrow's QF67 is cancelled, making four cancellations out of six timetabled flights between 14 and 19 January 2022 (inclusive). There must be many still waiting for carriage.

Strangely despite the alleged entry caps into India to which blacksultan above referred, the Melbourne - Adelaide - DElhi (and return Delhi - Melbourne nonstops) are operating as normal. Melbourne has more residents of Indian ethnicity than Sydney but the discrepancy in how one origin operates and the other is largely cancelled is stark.

It's possible some SYD passengers are being rerouted via a domestic QF to/from MEL as the 0925 hours MEL departure and 1335 hours MEL arrival of QF69/70 makes this feasible, albeit with an early start ex SYD on the 0600 hours down to MEL, and not a huge margin if that runs late or is cancelled.

 

[Melburnian1]

Tuesday 18 January's QF2, the 0950 hours LHR - DRW, was airborne at 1031 hours so on Wednesday 19, arrival should be 1227, 42 minutes tardy.

QF2 has been a typical 40-45 minutes late into DRW on three of its previous four trips as it struggles to become airborne on time in London.

A332 VH-EBO on QF68, the lately often cancelled 1755 hours late afternoon DEL down to SYD was in the sky at 1859 on Tuesday 18 so Wednesday 19 should see arrival at about 1236 hours, 46 minutes behind the timetable.

 

[Melburnian1]

Wednesday 19 January 2022's QF93, the 2255 hours MEL - LAX was delayed overnight so on Thursday 20 A332 VH-EBV was airborne at 1125. Estimated arrival has become 0626, 731 minutes late.

QF1409 (the 0930 hours SYD down to BXG) took off at 1025 so arrival for Q300 VH-SBB looks to be 1213 hours, 38 minutes tardy.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Friday 21 January 2022, QF67/QF68 SYD-ADL-DEL-SYD are again cancelled.

These alleged Indian government restrictions on passenger numbers must be costing QAN and other airlines a motza.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF1 on Thursday 20 January (the 1645 hours ex SYD) didn't take off until 1810 hours. B789 VH-ZNJ is estimated to be 62 minutes late arriving in DRW at 2042, delaying the 2110 hours scheduled departure of the second sector to LHR.

 

[Melburnian1]

B789 VH-ZNJ on QF2, the 0950 hours Friday 21 January LHR - DRW was in the sky at 1034, so on Saturday22 predicted at gate arrival has become 1236, 51 minutes late.

QF69 from MEL to DEL via ADL was on time into the domestic stop, arriving at 1016, just a minute behind, but then did not take off until 1252 hours for the 1115 hours scheduled pushback, so it arrived DEL 75 late at 1925 hours. A332 VH-EBP then formed the 1955 hours DEL - MEL QF70 that was in the sky at 2136 with Saturday 22 arrival suggested as 80 minutes behind at 1455 hours mid afternoon.

QF67/68 SYD-ADL-DEL-SYD are again cancelled on Sunday 23. These are cancelled more often than they operate.

 

[Melburnian1]

In further on Saturday 22 January 2022, QF23 (1030 hours midmorning SYD up to BKK) did not take off until 1147 hours, so arrival is shortly at a suggested 1643, 33 minutes tardy. VH-QPI is the A333. If all goes well, QF24 (the 1755 hours) shouldn't be overly late pushing back for its overnight return down to SYD.

B789 VH-ZNJ on QF2 from LHR and DRW should arrive SYD tonight not long after, at 2000 hours, 55 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Saturday 22 January had QF2 taking off from LHR on time at 1010 hours but Sunday 23 DRW arrival is suggested as 34 minutes late at 1219 hours, so it may be adverse winds.

B789 VH-ZNH operated the 1845 hours MEL - DRW QF9 bang on time last night, arriving at 2125 but must have struck problems in DRW as the departure for LHR has been delayed 24 hours to 2255 this evening.

Inevitably, this means a 24 hour delay to QF10, the 1120 hours LHR - DRW - MEL so it will depart on Monday 24, probably if the previopus designation is reused as 'QF10D'. I'm unsure why if QF9 was on time QFi couldn't bring forward this delayed Monday departure to say 0900 ex LHR, and thus reduce the delay including in DRW and arrival in MEL by a couple of hours to around 22. Maybe it has to do with mandated crew rest, or unavailability of a departure slot earlier at Heathrow?

 

[Melburnian1]

QF67/QF68 SYD-ADL-DEL-SYD are also cancelled on Monday 24 January 2022, meaning five of the last eight trips will by then have been flicked.

Surely passengers must be rerouted via MEL, aligned with the four times per week QF69/70 operate? I still can't find anything on the Internet.

On Saturday 22 January, QF75 (2010 hours evening SYD - YVR, B789 VH-ZNA) took off at 2106, arriving at 1544, 44 minutes tardy.