Qantas Delays/Cancellations

QF17, the 4 May "extra" SYD - LAX should have A388 VH-OQB but is delayed in departure from 1230 hours to a claimed 1315 this afternoon.

QF23 (0950 hours SYD - BKK, still not daily) took off at 1049 hours with A333 VH-QPB. Arrival should be at about 1710 hours, half an hour behind, meaning the return overnight QF24 (the 1810 hours) may be about half an hour late pushing back.
 
B789 VH-ZNJ arrived from JNB at its SYD gate on Wednesday 4 May bang on 1500 hours, 95 minutes tardy.

As discussed above, it formed a delayed QFi (the 1545 hours) that was in the sky at 1713 so expected DRW arrival is 62 minutes late at 2042 hours.
 
Thursday 5 May 2022 finds QF69 (A332 VH-EBP, initially the 0815 hours MEL - ADL) in the sky at 0909 with arrival at 0945 hours, 40 minutes down. For the second sector, takeoff occurred at 1059 hours so expected at gate arrival becomes 1848, 48 minutes late.

QF151 (B738 VH-VZZ) was the 0915 hours MEL - AKL not airborne until 1019, so it arrived at 1526 hours, 36 minutes tardy. VZZ had arrived in MEL 12 early at 0803 hours as QF152 from AKL.
 
Friday 6 May 2022 sees QF143 with class leader A333 VH-QPA (the 0930 hours SYD - AKL) airborne at 1037 with arrival at 1514 hours, 39 minutes tardy as the estimate. The aircraft had arrived SYD yesterday morning (5 May) at 0658 (28 late) from MNL as QF20 so spent overnight in SYD, yet was still tardy. Again, this may be slow passenger processing?

QF23 (0950 hours SYD - BKK, A333 VH-QPI) took off at 1052 with forecast at gate arrival becoming 1713 this afternoon BKK local time, 33 late. This aircraft had been in SYD since arriving on QF82 this morning at 0619 hours, 31 minutes early.

The midmorning 1015 hours QF11 (SYD - LAX) has A388 VH-OQK that was airborne at 1130, so same day arrival should be 33 late at 0733 hours.
 
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Continuing with Friday 6 May 2022, QF19 (1230 hours SYD - MNL, A333 VH-QPJ) was in the sky at 1328, so arrival should be at 1936, 46 minutes late.

'The 179' had B738 VH-XZG and was the 1030 hours SYD - NLK airborne at 1140 for gate arrival at 1444 hours, 34 behind.

The 1230 hours SYD - LAX "extra", QF17 is in the hands of A388 VH-OQB that's not long returned to passenger flights. It was not airborne until 1358 so same day arrival looks to be about 1006 hours, 46 behind.
 
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milehighclub said:
Yes, I suspect this is part of the problem. This was a message a friend got on Wednesday.
View attachment 276046
Click to expand...

From a limited sample, on Friday 6 May this seems to be delaying most flights in pushback by around 45 minutes.

Asking passengers to arrive 'at least four hours prior' won't be achievable in every case, especially for those arriving in SYD by air from interstate or rural NSW with a prebooked connecting flight that may be timed to arrive (say) 85 minutes before scheduled departure of the international flight.

The advice is trying to minimise logjams at security, bearing in mind delays to one flight can have a compounding effect at other airports.
 
In further on Friday 6 May 2022, QF81 (A333 VH-QPC, the 1110 SYD - SIN in the sky at 1217 hours) should arrive at its SIN gate at 1832 hours, 42 minutes tardy.

B789 VH-ZNF arrived in SYD on Friday as QF2 from DRW and LHR, its SYD gate time being 0507 hours, three minutes early. However returning as QF1 (the 1545 hours), takeoff wasn't until 1652 this arvo, so DRW arrival is suggested as 2032 hours, 52 minute stardy.
 
Also on 6 May, QF103 was predicted to only depart five late from SYD (for HNL) but this 1925 hours flight with A333 VH-QPA did not takeoff until 2046. Estimated same day attival is 47 minutes tardy at 0957 hours, so it's highly likely the returning QF104 will be delayed.
 
B738 VH-XZG on QF101, the Saturday 7 May 2022 flight scheduled at 0835 hours as pushback from SYD to NAN was airborne at 0956. Expected arrival at 1544 would be 69 minutes tardy.

The 1015 hours SYD - LAX QF11 was not expected to depart until 1200 'high noon'.

B789 VH-ZNG on QF10, the Friday 6 May 1155 hours LHR - DRW was not in the sky until an unusually late 1334 hours, so on Saturday 7, DRW arrival should be at around the 1427 hours mark, 67 minutes tardy. Departure for MEL timetabled for 1450 hours will be similarly delayed.

VH-ZNF on Friday's QF1 was in DRW from 2040 (an hour behind) to takeoff at 2243 hours so Saturday LHR arrival looks like 0720 hours, 45 minutes behind schedule.

B738 VH-XZE is running QF151 (0915 hours from MEL across to AKL but as it wasn't airborne until 1024, predicted at gate arrival is 48 minutes late at 1538 hours mid afternoon.
 
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Continuing with Saturday 7 May, QF11 (1015 hours SYD - LAX) was not up up and away until 1226 hours with A388 VH-OQD. Arrival same day ought be at about 0815 hours, 75 minutes behind the timetable. OQD had arrived in SYD this morning on 'the 12' at 0654, a minute early, ex LAX, so again, a guess is that the delay was solely or mostly caused by slow passenger processing, especially through SYD security.

If so, there'd be some stern words from airlines (not just QFi) as delays like this that aren't an airline's fault cost it money one way or another, and means if the airport is bound for a busy airport that it loses its slot, which can mean extra 'racecourse' circuits that waste fuel and passengers' time.
 
In more for Saturday 7 May, QF103 (A333 VH-QPE), the 1925 hours SYD up to HNL did not take off until 2117 hours, with same day arrival suggested as 1031 hours, 81 minutes behind. This will delay QF104 back to SYD.

The tardiness was due to the aircraft late this afternoon arriving in SYD as QF644 ex PER. While it was only two minutes late at gate at 1712, it had to transfer to the international terminal.

QF19 from SYD to MNL arrived at 1920, half an hour behind. Aircraft was VH-QPF.

Most unusually, QF139 (1925 hours tonight from SYD to CHC) has been delayed overnight for an 0900 hours predicted pushback tomorrow, Mother's Day, Sunday 8 May 2022.
 
A333 VH-QPE on SDaturday 7 May's QF103 ex SYD arrived HNL at 1040 hours, 90 minutes late. The return QF104, the 1055 hours was up up and away at 1247 so Sunday 8 mooted SYD arrival is 1856 hours, 91 minutes behind the schedule.

This aircraft is (judging by gate number 9) turning around immediately in SYD to operate back to HNL, meaning the 1925 hours scheduled pushback of QF103 is displaying as delayed until 2015 hours. A claimed turnaround of 79 minutes is extremely optimsitic. At a guess, a more realistic amended departure would be 2040 to 2100 hours.
 
B789 VH-ZNG on the Saturday QF11 (2130 hours MEL - LAX) did not take off until 0009 on Sunday 8 May so arrival was at 2102 hours on Saturday 7, 132 minutes behind schedule.
 
Continuing with Sunday 8, QF70, the overnight from DEL, arrived in MEL at 1303 hours in the early afternoon, 33 minutes late with A332 VH-EBP.

Yesterday QF139, the evening SYD - CHC recently resumed flight was delayed overnight, taking off at 0919 hours on Sunday 8 May, arriving CHC at 1353 instead of just after midnight at 0030 hours, so 803 minutes late.

Amazingly, tonight's QF139 has been delayed overnight to 0900 tomorrow morning, Tuesday 9 in pushback. Very rare to have the same TransTasman flight hit by overnight delays on two consecutive days.

QF41 is another flight that resumed in recent times. Today this scheduled 1350 hours departure became a 1927 hours takeoff from SYD with A333 VH-QPC, so expected arrival in Jakarta (CGK) is 2356, 311 minutes behind the timetable. QPC must be replacing a failed aircraft, as it arrived BNE this monring two minutes early at 0603 hours as QF52 ex SIN, and then took off at 1616 hours from the Sunshine State capital as 'ferry' (empty) flight QF6007, arriving SYD at 1727 hours, so no mucking about there. Inevitably, QF42, the 2010 hours will be similarly late to 'the 41', and may form a late departure ex SYD tomorrow if rostered for a midmorning tour of duty.
 
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A333 VH-QPE came in late from HNL tonight (see above) and on Sunday 8 May went out straight away again on QF103 from SYD to HNL, taking off on this 1925 hours scheduled flight at 2126. Same day predicted arrival at gate is approximately 1038 hours, 88 minutes behind schedule.

It may pretty much be 'rinse and repeat' the previous day's late QF104 back down to SYD.

A388 VH-OQD is on the Saturday 7 May 2255 hours LAX - SYD QF12, but it did not become airborne on Sunday morning until 0142 hours. Hence Monday 9 arrival in SYD should be at about 0909 hours, 134 minutes late. If this A380 forms QF11, the 1015 hours tomorrow morning, it won't be punctual pushing back.

B789 VH-ZNG on QF94 (LAX to MEL) is also tardy, with Monday 9 May at gate arrival suggested as 0703 hours, 73 late.
 
On Monday 9 May 2024, QF23 (0950 hours SYD to BKK morning flight) has A333 VH-QPA. The aircraft had overnighted in SYD, but did not take off until 1138 hours so expected arrival is 1759 in the very late afternoon local time, 79 minutes tardy. QF24, the 1810 hours back down overnight to SYD will be unlikely to depart much before 1930 hours.

Stablemate VH-QPF is on QF143 (0930 hours SYD - AKL) that was in the sky at 1058 hours, so a 1536 hours mid afternoon arrival is likely, this being 61 late. This will delay QF146 returning back across the Tasman.

B789 VH-ZNA (another class leader) on what is often the punctual QF63 Indian Ocean-bound to JNB from SYD didn't take off until 1058 hours, so arrival is suggested as at about 1624, 44 minutes behind the timetable. The aircraft was only 13 minutes late arriving on QF76 this morning at 0643.

These delays may mostly be due to either lack of QFi contracted baggage handlers or continuing slow security screening in Sydney, as it's too consistent a pattern for much else.

A388 VH-OQD on 'the 12' arrived SYD this morning at 0919 hours, 144 minutes late.

QF11 (the 1015 hours midmoning SYD - LAX) was showing initially as a 45 minute delay in pushback but that has expanded to a revised departure at 1240 hours, 10 minutes away as I tap.

With QF41 from SYD to CGK so late yesterday, it's no surprise that QF42, the redeye back to SYD arrived at 1118 hours, 313 minutes late with A333 VH-QPC.
 
milehighclub said:
I'd say again more likely to be security, it even made the news again today.

Click to expand...
What I find interesting is that neither EK nor QR flights out of SYD seem to be impacted by this chaos. I was on EK413 on Friday night. The check-in process as well as Border Control and Security was a breeze. We were through in less than 20 minutes around 7pm. And EK flew out with a completely sold out A380!
 

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