Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Must...Fly!]

I see QF93 and QF95 have both been canceled tomorrow. Received this helpful message from Qantas ~ 28 hours before I was due to depart:

Crew must be tight especially when running charters too. ZNJ is running around toward Antarctica tonight

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[Melburnian1]

B789 VH-ZNF on the badly delayed QF9 ex MEL on Saturday 30 April arrived DRW at 0056 on Sunday 1 May and was airborne at 0249 hours with suggested LHR arrival becoming 1113 hours, 368 minutes behind the schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

I see QF93 and QF95 have both been canceled tomorrow.

Strangely for Sunday 1 May MEL - LAX, Melbourne Airport and FR24 both show QF93 (2130 hours MEL - LAX) as operating, but QFi does not (expunging it from the 'flight status page) so you must be correct, as the airline's own information will be correct.

This will presumably mean on 1 May ex LAX that QF94 and QF96 are also cancelled southwest bound.

 

[Melburnian1]

Crew must be tight especially when running charters too. ZNJ is running around toward Antarctica tonight

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Must...Fly!, B789 VH-ZNJ is now on ferry flight QF6036 from MEL up to SYD that took off at 0819 hours. on 1 May.

Perhaps it may form the overnight delayed QF63 from SYD to JNB that is showing as departing at 1050 hours on 1 May instead of 0935 on 30 April.

 

[Melburnian1]

My previous post wasn't correct. On Sunday 1 May 2022, B789 VH-ZNI that arrived from LHR and DRW into SYD at a gate time of 0508 hours, two minutes early formed the overnight delayed QF63, the 0935 hours Saturday 30 April SYD - JNB that instead departed at 1102 and took off a few minutes ago at 1119 hours. Expected 1 May arrival in JNB is 1650 hours, 1510 minutes late.

The QF flight status page shows QF64 on Saturday 30 'cancelled', rather than delayed to say a claimed 1825 hours departure ex JNB on 1 May as FR24 does. In this case, FR24 should be correct.

QF143 (0930 hours SYD - AKL, VH-QPJ) was airborne at 1027 hours so arrival at 1506 hours is predicted, a benign delay of 31 minutes compared to many other recent days of this extremely unpunctual flight.

 

[Melburnian1]

The 30 April departure of QF1 from SYD (which becomes 1 May into LHR) has class leader VH-ZNA and should arrive London at 0616 hours, 19 minutes early.

However (see post #12902) QF9 is badly late and looks to be forming QF10, the 1155 hours LHR - DRW - SYD that is expected to push back 80 minutes late. On previous occasions, the aircraft from QF1 has formed 'the 10' so the latter can depart on time, with the late QF9 forming the mid evening 2105 hours QF2. Presumably there's some rostering reason why QFi isn't doing this 'swap' today.

 

[Melburnian1]

Instead of arriving LHR on Sunday 1 May 2022 at 1113 as advised above, QF9 is likely to be at gate at about 1210 hours, 425 minutes late. Pushback for QF10 has been further put back to 1335 hours, 100 minutes late, but if the B789 forming it only gets in at 1210, this seems very optimistic. Doesn't leave much time for 'proper' cleaning or other tasks.

UPDATE: QF9 arrived LHR at 1158 hours local time (2058 AEST).

 

[Melburnian1]

The overnight delayed QF63 from SYD to JNB (B789 VH-ZNI) arrived at gate at 1717 hours on Sunday 1 May 2022, 1577 minutes late. It then took off for SYD at 2132 hours as QF64 with Monday 2 arrival suggested as 1622 hours mid afternoon, 1617 minutes late.

FR24 and FlightAware suggest that the B789 made a fairly brief intermediate stop in Durban, the first time I've observed this. Does anyone have further?

QF151 (0915 hours MEL - AKL) is predicted to depart half an hour late.

A333 VH-QPJ on Sunday 1's QF103 (1925 hours SYD - HNL) arrived same day at 0943 hours, 33 minutes behind schedule. The 1055 hours returning QF104 was not airborne until 1207 hours so SYD arrival on Monday 2 early evening should be 65 late at 1930 hours.

Following QF9's significantly delayed arrival on Sunday at LHR at noon (see above), B789 VH-ZNF immediately turned around and formed 'the 10', the 1155 hours LHR - DRW - MEL, but did not take off until mid afternoon at 1509 hours. The DRW stop is predicted to be from 1550 hours on Monday 2 compared to scheduled arrival at 1320.

 

[exLXCXFF]

FR24 and FlightAware suggest that the B789 made a fairly brief intermediate stop in Durban, the first time I've observed this. Does anyone have further?

There was widespread reporting that jet fuel is unavailable at JNB (due to Kwazulu Natal floods) and airlines make intermediary stops. Swiss and Lufthansa refill at Windhoek. Might be that.

 

[Melburnian1]

In another of QFd's attempts to 'punish' ZL, QFd commenced a six day a week ABX - MEL (and return) flight.

It doesn't seem to be going well. ZL has been on time (although it only operates Mon to Fri) for the past week but yesterday, QF2039 was cancelled while today's 0645 hours ABX - MEL is estimated to depart at 1150 hours, 305 minutes late.

On Sunday 1 May, QF2038 departed MEL at 2100 hours (115 minutes late), arriving ABX at 2153, 113 late, explaining some of the delay this morning as crews must have minimum mandated rest periods in a hotel/motel.

Compare this to the one of the two daily XPT (NSW TrainLink) train schedules on which I travelled last week: Albury depart at 1516, Southern Cross station in Melbourne's CBD arrive 1834 (four minutes late). By the time one gets out to ABX airport, checks in a minimum 30 minutes before and travels, and then battles traffic on Transurban CityLink in Melbourne, flying such a short distance is uncompetitive with either NSW TrainLink or slower V/Line trains.

It's worse northbound as check in at a capital city airport such as MEL during recent school holidays was advised as two hours before scheduled departure.

The trains are also far more comfortable than rather cramped turboprop aircraft.

Why QFd would bother with such a short route is beyond me unless it wants to drive ZL out of business. It's arguably predatory behaviour but opinions will be divided as to whether it's one for the ACCC as ZL luminary John Sharp has IIRC suggested.

 

[Must...Fly!]

If Qantas want to flush money down the toilet then I guess that's their prerogative. I agree the train is by far the better way to travel even if you are in the Melbourne suburbs as connections are far more convenient than the airport. Even in the North West since all the Standard Gauge services pick up or drop off at Broadmeadows.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Monday 2 May 2022, QF143, notorious for arriving late, took off from SYD at 1100 so AKL arrival should be 1542, 67 minutes late. Aircraft is A333 VH-QPE.

Inevitably this means a delayed QF146 back to SYD, and sometimes (as it's also an A333) the aircraft is next used on the 1925 hours QF103 from SYD to HNL, which can also be delayed as a result.

It's good aircraft utilisation for QFi but for whatever reasons in the last few weeks, much of the time 'the 143' has been mildly to seriously unpunctual so unfortunately there's a flow-on effect.

Colleague VH-QPB is on QF23 (0950 hours SYD to BKK) that was in the sky on 2 May at 1106 hours, so predicted arrival is 1727, 47 minutes tardy. The 1810 hours BKK - SYD redeye (QF24) is likely to push back at about 1855 if all goes well.

A332 VH-EBS on its initial 2 May leg from MEL to ADL (QF69) arrived 32 minutes late at 0937 hours, but "may" pick up time on the second sector to DEL.

 

[Melburnian1]

A388 VH-OQB may recently have returned to service. On Monday 2 May 2022, it formed QF11 (1015 hours SYD - LAX) that took off at 1146 hours so predicted at gate arrival is 48 minutes late, same day, at 0748 hours.

QF17, also an A388, is the 1230 hours lunchtime departure on the same route but today it's delayed to a predicted 1630 hours ex SYD.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF17 on Monday 2 May took off from SYD at 1643 hours with A388 VH-OQD so LAX arrival should be 1246 hours, 211 minutes late. The aircraft had arrived in SYD at 0704 hours, nine minutes late as QF12 overnight from LAX, so not sure why the lengthy delay. Perhaps crew were not available until later in the day?

The delayed QF10 today was in DRW from 1610 hours - 170 minutes late) until a 1752 hours takeoff so MEL arrival tonight for B789 VH-ZNF should be 2201 hours, 181 minutes behind the schedule.

A333 VH-QPE is on QF146, the AKL - SYD working (1610 hours) airborne at 1729 with forecast at gate arrival becoming 44 minutes late (shortly) at 1834 hours.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Monday 2 May 2022, QF103 (A333 VH-QPJ, the 1925 hours early evening SYD - HNL) did not become airborne until 2033 so expected same day arrival is 0944, 34 minutes tardy: similar to yesterday's flight.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF69 on Monday 2 May 2022 was shown as on time yesterday but ended up arriving DEL (A332 VH-EBS) at 1842 hours, 42 minutes tardy. However the return DEL - MEL QF70 is only expected to be a quarter of an hour late arriving in MEL at 1245 hours today.

QF63 on Tuesday 3 May has been altered to depart SYD at 0800 (not the usual 0935 hoyrs) due one would think to the lack of airline turbine fuel availability at JNB (see above: floods) and consequent need on the return journey QF64 to stop in DUR for that vital commodity.

QF103 from SYD was later arriving in HNL on Monday than predicted. It was at its gate at 1003 hours, 53 minutes behind schedule. This will mean A333 VH-QPJ is delayed on the 1055 hours ex HNL (QF104) back down to SYD.

QF20 from MNL to SYD (A333 VH-QPA) took off on 2 May at 2125 hours with SYD arrival on 3 May at 0709 hours, 39 minutes late.

B789 VH-ZNJ on QF8 from DFW to SYD is expected to arrive at 0739 hours on 3 May, 64 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

As noted above, QF63 on Tuesday 3 May had been brought forward in timetabled departure from SYD to 0800 but in the end, B789 VH-ZNJ arriving from DFW at 0741 hours, 66 minute slate put paid to that (which would have been difficult anyway even if the inbound had arrived bang on time at 0635 hours).

'The 63' was airborne at 1008 hours so JNB arrival should be 1557 hours, 112 minutes late.

This information is four days old and has a bit of confusing doublespeak:

"OR Tambo International Airports is currently operating on three to four days’ worth of stock which will be sustained over the next six weeks. We have confirmation from the National Petroleum Refiners of South Africa (NATREF) of an additional supply of 14 million liters of jet fuel. Additionally, we are expecting a shipment of 10 million liters on 5th May which will assist in stabilizing ACSA’s fuel levels to approximately three to four days’ worth of stock."

 

[Melburnian1]

In further on Tuesday 3 May 2022, QF1, the flagship 1545 hours SYD - DRW - LHR took off at 1639 hours so predicted DRW arrival is at 2010 hours, half an hour behind.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Tuesday 3 May 2022, QF64, the 1740 hours JNB overnight to SYD was (nominally?) altered to a 1605 hours departure but took off at 1748. B789 VH-ZNJ then made a stop in Durban, South Africa to take on fuel (see above: flooding the reason) and subsequently was airborne at 1951 hours. SYD Wednesday 4 May arrival is estimated as 1505 hours mid afternoon, 100 minutes late on the normal timetable.

It looks as if this aircraft is forming QF1, the 1545 hours SYD - LHR that is put back to a 1635 hours departure. How well would a 236 seat aircraft be cleaned if it's only on the ground for 90 minutes? Even if a crew of 10 cleaners were engaged, given they're not on board when passengers are alighting or boarding, this means they have an hour or not much more for each cleaner to attend to c.24 seats.

A388 VH-OQK on QF11 (1015 hours SYD - LAX) is estimated to depart half an hour late but if that occurs, it should be close to punctual arriving based on previous flights.

 

[Melburnian1]

One hesitates to use 'chronically unpunctual' because that means 'constantly recurring' and in the case of QF143, the A333 or A332 (today VH-EBE) 0930 hours SYD - AKL, there are occasional reasonable performances.

However Wednesday 4 May 2022 is sadly typical, with the aircraft airborne at 1049 hours for suggested arrival at 1519, 44 minutes tardy. This is despite this plane overnighting in SYD, so it suggests crewing issues or slow check-ins (or security delays) affecting passengers. One could not recommend this flight if tight connections are arranged through AKL.

The 1000 hours BNE - LAX QF55 has an excellent punctuality record but on 4 May it's showing as delayed in pushback to 1045 hours. By 1055 it didn't appear to have done that.

UPDATE: QF55 was airborne at 1132 hours so same day lAX arrival for A332 VH-EBR should be at about 0716 hours, 46 minutes behind schedule. The aircraft had worked QF509 from SYD to BNE, arriving 39 minutes at 0814 hours so that explains some or all of the delay.