Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

may that passenger rest in peace, its always sad to have someone pass away, and that passenger has passed when not at home country is even more so...

Fortunately rare compared to the number of flights or millions of passengers carried to/from/within Oz, but over time as the median age continues to rise in many nations (including Oz, although COVID-19 may slightly push it downwards) and elderly passengers travel on medium (to/from Asia) and long haul flights, one would expect the metric would rise a bit.

 

[Melburnian1]

Sunday 7 August's overnight delayed QF93 ex MEL (B789 VH-ZNC) arrived at LAX at 1301 hours on Monday 8, 1311 minutes late.

QF94 on Sunday 7'e evening, the 2130 hours, has been delayed until 1420 on Monday. At gate arrival in MEL should be around 2250 hours this evening, Tuesday 8, 1010 minutes behind the timetable.

The diverted Sunday 7 QF9 ex MEL (VH-ZNF) remains in FRA but is predicted (after mandatory crew rest) to depart for the short hop to LHR at 1215 today, Tuesday 9 August, arriving London at 1245 hours, so even later than Flyerqf's update last night.

Monday 8's QF10 is still showing as departing exactly a day late (i.e. today) at 1155 hours. This may mean that the Tuesday arriving QF9 at LHR, VH-ZNH that should be in at 0501, four minutes early, will turn around and form the departure.

Today's 1155 hours LHR-PER-MEL QF10 is predicted to depart at 1800 hours from London, with the intermediate PER stop from 1745 to 1915 on Wednesday 10 and consequent MEL arrival at 0045 on Thursday 11, 365 minutes late.

Tuesday 9's QF9, the mid afternoon MEL-PER-LHR due to initially depart at 1515 is delayed until the shocking time for passengers of 0500 hours on Wednesday 10. It should be in PER from 0700 to 0830, arriving LHR at 1845 hours on Wednesday, 820 minutes late.

Wednesday 10's QF10 is predicted to push back in LHR at 2015 hours, 500 minutes late and eventually arrive MEL at the unfortunate time of 0300 hours (!) on Friday 12.

QF93 on Thursday 11, the 2110 hours mid evening is suggested as departing at another less than ideal time, 0430 on Friday 12 from MEL to arrive LAX at 0150 hours on Friday, 440 minutes behind schedule.

The weekly QF96 on very late Thursday evening from LAX (2355 hours) is also departing at the unconscionable hour of 0320 on Friday 12 August for MEL suggested arrival at 1150 hours on Saturday 13, 205 minutes late.

It's unfortunate that two B789s are out of sync, but one of these can't be helped. It does however shine a light on how tight these QFi rosters are: laudable for shareholders assuming the airline can obtain the necessary yield per seat, but not so great when things go awry. However to have two out, while not unprecedented, is very uncommon.

 

[Melburnian1]

Sunday 7 August's QF94 has not long pushed back in LAX at 1544 on Monday afternoon local time, so MEL suggested arrival becomes 0010 on Wednesday 10 August, 1090 minutes late.

A333 VH-QPJ on QF24 from BKK to SYD arrived on Tuesday 9 at 0715 hours, 45 late due to it being late on QF23 yesterday.

QPD was 18 minutes late arriving MNL on Monday 7 at 1908 as QF19, but QF20, the 2035 hours redeye didn't become airborne until 2210 so arrival this morning in SYD was 0733 hours, 63 minutes late.

Additionally on Monday 8, QF139 (1925 hours SYD up to CHC, B738 VH-XZF) did not take off until 2114 so arrival this morning was at 0158 hours, 88 minutes behind schedule. QF138 this morning, the 0600 hours took off at 0801 so SYD arrival was 0857 hours, 82 minutes late. This B738 is next on QF143, the poorest timekeeper that's meant to depart Sydney for AKL at 0930 hours but is frequently delayed.

 

[Melburnian1]

In post #13342 the Tuesday 9 August QF9 was noted as delayed until 0500 ex MEL on Wednesday 10. That has become a proposed 0700 hours departure, so LHR arrival will be at about 2045 on Thursday 11 if all goes to plan, 940 minutes late.

In turn, the 1155 hours ex LHR QF10 on Wednesday (that was meant as above to depart at 2015 hours) will be further delayed in pushback to at least 2230.; This change has yet to be publicly reflected on the QF website 'flight status.'

 

[789nerd]

While the QF9/10 & QF93/94 saga continues, Qantas B789 VH ZNB departed with QF63 SYD-JNB 105 minutes late, the aircraft having arrived 6 minutes early from DFW earlier in the morning. Current flight time estimates cut that back to 73 minutes at JNB.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Monday 8 August, A388 VH-OQB took off from LHR at 0045 as QF2, so the SIN stay was from 2026 (181 minutes late) to takeoff at 2351. Arrival in SYD on Tuesday 9 was at 0845 hours, 215 minutes tardy. The aircraft then undertook what may have been brief training, becoming airborne at 1206 as QF6010 and returning to a gate by 1307, and subsequently taking off on time at 1611 as QF1 back up to SIN and eventually London Heathrow.

 

[Melburnian1]

While the QF9/10 & QF93/94 saga continues, Qantas B789 VH ZNB departed with QF63 SYD-JNB 105 minutes late, the aircraft having arrived 6 minutes early from DFW earlier in the morning. Current flight time estimates cut that back to 73 minutes at JNB.

789nerd, given your 'oracle' status, is another possible problem that flight crew (and perhaps even cabin crew) will be out of position or having insufficient mandated rest hours, causing further delays to what QFi expects above for the next few days of some B789 schedules?

Or do you opine that the operations staff have planned, as much as they can, rostering so unless staff suddenly go off work due to influenza/COVID-19, everything should fairly much run as indicated?

 

[Quickstatus]

Should QF reduce its tempo until it is able to operate consistently?

 

[Melburnian1]

Should QF reduce its tempo until it is able to operate consistently?

A good idea, but it's taken bookings for flights you're implying ought not operate.

Management also wants to operate as many flights as possible (assuming the majority deliver a net profit) so SH can't accuse the company of slackness.

But cancellations and severe late running hugely annoy time-sensitive patrons: not just businessmen, but leisure travellers with an airline or rail connection, a wedding or funeral to attend or a cruise that departs the next day.

 

[789nerd]

Monday 8's QF10 is still showing as departing exactly a day late (i.e. today) at 1155 hours. This may mean that the Tuesday arriving QF9 at LHR, VH-ZNH that should be in at 0501, four minutes early, will turn around and form the departure.

As suggested, Qantas B789 VH-ZNH is operating the first of todays QF10 flights, albeit as QF7010 for air traffic control purposes - still listed as QF10 on Qantas Flight Status.

 

[789nerd]

789nerd, given your 'oracle' status, is another possible problem that flight crew (and perhaps even cabin crew) will be out of position or having insufficient mandated rest hours, causing further delays to what QFi expects above for the next few days of some B789 schedules?

Or do you opine that the operations staff have planned, as much as they can, rostering so unless staff suddenly go off work due to influenza/COVID-19, everything should fairly much run as indicated?

Apart from the 'oracle' status, I agree with both statements - they are not mutually exclusive.

 

[Melburnian1]

B789 VH-ZNC on the badly delayed QF12 arrived MEL at 0003 hours on Wednesday 10 August, while the Monday 8 August scheduled following QF12 (the 2130 hours, operated by ZND) was airborne at 2316 for Wednesday 10 MEL at gate arrival of 0723, 83 minutes late.

Tuesday's 1515 hours MEL-PER-LHR QF9 (ZNC) has just departed on Wednesday 10 at 0723 hours, 968 minutes late. QF maintains the PER stop will be brief at 0920 to 1030 with LHR arrival suggested as 2045 hours tonight (local time), 940 minutes behind schedule.

The Tuesday QF10 (operating as QF7010) departed LHR at 1826 hours, 391 minutes tardy with B789 VH-ZNF, taking off promptly at 1843. The PER stop should be approximately 1742 to 1915 with MEL arrival in line with yesterday's prediction at 0045 hours, not long after midnight, on Thursday 11.

Wednesday's QF10 ex LHR was estimated yesterday to be 2015 hours mid evening out of London Heathrow, but this has naturally been delayed by a further two hours to 2215 given 'the 9' only departed MEL 10 minutes ago as I write. The suggestion is that this QF10 will arrive MEL at 0500 on Friday 12.

 

[tomlee1986]

Should QF reduce its tempo until it is able to operate consistently?

sounds like a good idea, but too many issues with staff absences due to Covid and the like at short notice, not as easy like before...

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Wednesday 10 August, QF6, the Tuesday 9 1050 hours FCO down to PER (B789 class leader VH-ZNA) didn't take off until 1208 so arrival will be shortly at 0920 hours, 45 minutes late.

QF143, the 0930 hours SYD - AKL was in the sky at 1033 so gate arrival for A333 VH-QPI should be 1510, 35 minutes behind schedule.

The overnight delayed QF9 - rebadged as QF7009 - (VH-ZNC) arrived PER at 0913 hours, seven minutes ahead of what was suggested above.

The 0815 hours MEL-ADL-DEL QF69 yesterday did not take off from ADL until 122 hours, so DEL arrival at gate was 157 minutes late at 2037. A332 VH-EBQ remains in New Delhi with departure tonight expected to be exactly a day late at 2005 for MEL arrival at 1300 hours (lunchtime) on Thursday 11 rather than this afternoon.

 

[Ade]

10Aug2022 - QF81 delayed from 1115 to 1230

Good thing is I'm in QF F lounge. Bad thing is, I've got a SQ connection to MAA tonight, on a seperate ticket Fingers crossed. I spoke to the lounge agent and they said that I should still have time to make the SQ connection ....

 

[Melburnian1]

The overnight delayed QF7009 was airborne from PER on Wednesday 10 August at 1143 AWST with LHR projected at gate arrival becoming 2105 London time same day, 960 minutes behind the timetable.

 

[Quickstatus]

but too many issues with staff absences

But with increased uncertainty, the prudent way forward IMO not to stress the system too much. Rumours that the CFO has a performance bonus on the line. Stressing the system to achieve KPI is not a way to run any system. There is no system in the world which runs better and safer when it is stressed because the threat of errors increases

 

[Melburnian1]

In more on Wednesday 10 August, QF7 from SYD up to DFW is predicted to push back 35 minutes late, but as it endede up being formed by B789 VH-ZNB that arrived from JNB 78 minutes late at 1438 hours this afternoon, it's not greatly surprising that by 1655 hours, QF7 was yet to be in the air. Thankfully it has a lengthy layover in Texas before QF8 at 2255 hours local time departs.

Tuesday 9's QF2 (A388 VH-OQK) took off from LHR at 2210: expected at gate SIN time early this evening is 1804 hours, 39 minutes late.

B789 VH-ZNH should pull into its MEL gate as QF10 (ex PER and previously LHR) at 1934, 54 late this evening.

'The 23' from SYD to BKK this morning (0950 hours, A333 VH-QPF) was not airborne until 1207 so gate arrival time becomes a suggested 1819 hours, 99 minutes late. Hence for the second consecutive night, QF24 back to SYD, timetabled out of BKK's gate at 1810 will be delaqyed. This A333 had overnighted in SYD so perhaps more luggage handling or security queue delays.

Sister VH-QPE had similarly overnighted in Sydney, coming in last night at 1845, 80 minutes late as the often tardy QF104 ex HNL. QF19 (1230 hours to MNL) was not predicted to be delayed today but as it did not point skywards until 1322 this afternoon, at gate time becomes 1927 hours, 37 behind schedule.

VH-ZNA arrived in SYD as QF6 from PER and FCO at 1642 hours, 37 minutes tardy: it looks to as usual be forming QF5, the 1755 hours yo-yo altered to depart at 1815, so a minor, recoverable delay if it holds true.

QF139, the early evening 1925 hours SYD - CHC is forecast to push back 75 minutes late. Delays to these NZ-bound flights can often see hotel guests checking in to a CBD hotel in WLG, AKL or CHC at some unattactive hour such as 0200 the next morning.

 

[milehighclub]

I’ve been told by someone that the diversion to FRA due medical did not result in death and the passenger survived

 

[Melburnian1]

On Thursday 11 August, B789 VH-ZNF on the delayed QF10 from LHR arrived MEL at 0053 hours, 373 minutes late.

The ex-London next QF10 had sister ZNH, arriving MEL at gate at 1938 hours, "only" 58 minutes late. A rare example of one 'speeding past' an earlier scheduled long distance departure. This aircraft then took off from MEL at 2216 hours as QF93, the 2110 hours to LAX with same day arrival estimated as 1904 hours, 34 minutes behind the timetable.

B789 VH-ZNC on the 9 August QF9 from MEL and PER arrived LHR on Wednesday 10 at 2109 hours, 964 minutes behind schedule.

As noted above, Wednesday 10 August's QF10 from LHR, the 1155 hours, had been supposedly delayed to 2015 hours at night, and subsequently 2215 hours. However it's been further delayed to a claimed 1400 hours departure on Thursday (today), 1565 minutes late. Its intermediate Perth stop is estimated from 1345 to 1515 hours during the afternoon of Friday 12 with MEL arrival becoming 2045 hours, the same number of minutes late.

Thursday night's QF93 (2110 ex MEL for LAX) has been further delayed and is estimated to depart 12 hours late at 0910 hours on Friday, arriving LAX at 0630 on Friday morning instead of 1830 during Thursday's early evening. At least it's no longer an '0430 hours' pushback as was intended above.

Similarly, the weekly QF96 (2355 hours ex LAX on Thursday 11 August) is likely to push back at 0930 hours on Friday 12, arriving MEL at 1800 on Saturday early evening instead of the usual morning arrival at 0825 hours, so 575 minutes late.

A333 VH-QPF on QF20 overnight from BKK is arriving SYD this morning shortly at 0830 hours, two hours late.

A332 VH-EBQ that was on Tuesday 9's QF69 from MEL and ADL to DEL looks to be still at the latter. QFi shows this as delayed until 1300 today in pushback so MEL arrival should be 0554 hours on Friday 12, an astounding 2334 minutes late.