Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[789nerd]

Meanwhile B789 VH-ZND operating QF6 FCO-PER left 66 minutes late, and dropped a further 4 minutes to be 70 min late on arrival in Perth this morning. The onward leg to Sydney is also showing as running 70 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Also on Friday 19 August, A333 VH-QPI on QF35 (1205 hours lunchtime MEL up to SIN) did not become airborne until a few minutes ago at 1359 hours, so predicted at gate arrival becomes 1936 hours, 81 minutes late. Yesterday this aircraft ran more than an hour late on QF466 (1630 hours MEL-SYD) and the returning QF499 scheduled from SYD at 22200 hours, as it arrived MEL this morning at 0044, 69 late.

If everything is OK, the southbound this plane forms from SIN tonight ought be close to time as fortuitously, QFi has allowed greater than minimum turnaround time in SIN.

VH_QPD was on QF143 that has continued its reputation for unpunctuality. This 0930 hours SYD - AKL took off at 1037 hours, arriving at 1515, 40 minutes behind. Prior to this it had been on freight/mail flight QF7524 that arrived SYD (ex CHC) at 0757 hours, 17 late.

I assume slow security checking (with many flights, not just QFi's/JQi's) departing Sydney mid morning and/or slow baggage loading are causes of late running as even on days when 'the 143' is a smaller B738, on time operation doesn't always occur. This flight can also sometimes be an A332, so a variety of equipment.

 

[Melburnian1]

Thursday 18 August's QF1 (A388 VH-OQB) was not airborne until 1839 so today (Friday) SIN at gate arrival was 0025, 130 minutes tardy. It then took off at 0232 hours so LHR arrival is suggested as 0837, 102 minutes late. At least it's likely to pick up some time on the second sector but the overall performance of this flight, and QF2 southeast bound, hasn't been great since operation via popular Singapore resumed.

It's unfortunate that the 'other' flights, QF9/10 ex and to MEL/PER are B789s as this reduces QFi's operational flexibility. Crew from say 'the 9' can't operate 'the 2' back given the different aircraft types. Plus it's a capacity reduction for passengers of 50 per cent using the B789.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF1 on Friday 19 August (A388 VH-OQJ) is another tardy example, having taken off at 1730 hours with predicted SIN at gate arrival of 2320 hours, 65 minutes late. It's unlikely to be punctual arriving at LHR's designated gate.

 

[789nerd]

While yesterday's QF63 (VH-ZNA) arrived in Jo'burg just 12 minutes behind schedule, the return QF64 departure has been delayed until noon (local) - with new arrival in Sydney of 07:45 Saturday [18 hrs 20 min late].

QF64 eventually pulled back from the gate at 12:18 (Local) Friday, and took off at 12:24. Qantas shows it arriving Sydney at 7:28 am Saturday.

QF93 MEL-LAX (B789 VH-ZNH) departed 38 minutes late at 7:48 this evening - all sites currently showing it making up the time by the time it arrives in Los Angeles.

One side effect of the QF64 delay is that as of the departure of QF93, we had all eleven Qantas B789s in the air.

 

[flydoc]

Departure boards at SYD indicate QF728, the scheduled 0930 SYD-AYQ is cancelled today. The QF site does not yet reflect this, nor the likely cancellation of the return QF729.
As this is the sole QF mainline service to AYQ one wonders why it has got the chop rather than a flight to a more frequently serviced port to which pax could be rebooked on other flights

Edit- a PA announcement to the effect that the monitors are wrong and this service is NOT cancelled and will operate as scheduled!!

 

[Melburnian1]

Friday 19 August saw QF2 (2105 hours ex LHR) become airborne at 2219 so SIN arrival on Saturday 20 becomes a suggested 1817 hours, 52 minutes behind time. VH-OQB is the A388.

Last night, QF10 arrived MEL at 1911 hours, 31 late.

VH-)QJ is on QF1 that took off from SIN this morning at 0223 hours with expected at gate arrival at LHR of 0818 hours, 103 minutes late.

B789 VH-ZNA on the badly delayed QF64 ex JNB took off yesterday at 1234 hours, arriving SYD this morning at 0738 hours, 993 minutes late.

QF123 (B738 VH-XZK, the 0700 hours SYD - ZQN airborne at 0849 hours) should arrive at about 1321 hours, 81 minutes late.

The 0835 hours SYD - NAN, QF101, was expected to depart at 0920 hours but is later than that.

 

[Melburnian1]

In more on Saturday 20 August, QF63 (0935 hours SYD - JNB, B789 VH-ZNG) did not take off until 1157 hours late this morning. Expected at gate arrival is 1739 hours, 124 minutes late. The 1740 hours redeye back to Sydney should depart at some time after 1905 hours.

B738 VH-XZC on the early morning 0710 hours MEL - AKL, QF151, took off at 0809, arriving at 1324 hours, 39 behind. It is similar on the return, with the scheduled 1340 hours (QF156) airborne at 1444 for expected at gate arrival of 1629, 34 minutes tardy.

 

[Melburnian1]

Sunday 21 August 2022's QF1 is delayed in departure from 1555 hours to an estimated 2200 hours late evening, making suggested LHR arrival on Monday 22 around about 1240 hours, 365 minutes late.

A388 VH-OQK arrived in LAX as QF11 (ex SYD) at 0730 hours, half an hour late, on Sunday 14 August, but has sat there since, presumably undergoing maintenance at the modern QFi facility.

However QF12 on Friday 19 August at 2255 ex LAX (late night) has been delayed to a suggested 1230 hours LAX time today (Saturday 20), meaning likely SYD arrival tomorrow night (Sunday) at 2000 hours, 785 minutes late. This explains the projected QF1 delay.

Fortunately due to the long layover in London, at this stage it's unlikely that QF2 (2105 hours on Monday 22 August) will be delayed due to the tardy QF1 (unless something else crops up, or 'the 1' loses a lot more time).

 

[Flyerqf]

A388 VH-OQK arrived in LAX as QF11 (ex SYD) at 0730 hours, half an hour late, on Sunday 14 August, but has sat there since, presumably undergoing maintenance at the modern QFi facility.

VH-OQD arrived on Friday morning. Must be planned for maintenance, otherwise it would make sense to swap for OQK.

 

[Melburnian1]

Oh dear.

The Friday 19 August QF12 ex LAX has been further delayed from the scenario two posts above, now being expected to shortly depart at 1515 hours for a suggested 2245 hours arrival tonight in Sydney. (It's 1453 in Los Angeles as I write). This is cutting it fairly fine for the curfew in Sydney., as in recent days, fastest time in the air has been 13:53. If one allows a prompt 15 minutes from blocks off (pushback) to becoming airborne, that means touchdown at 2223 hours tonight assuming pushback is right on 1515.

If this aircraft is still to form QF1 on Sunday 21 (today), that will mean an overnight delay as hard to see how 'the delegate' would grant an exemption for a passenger flight to push back at say 0045 on Monday 22's super early morning.

QF7, the 1540 hours afternoon on Sunday 21 from SYD for the long flight to DFW is predicted to depart 70 late.

UPDATE: By 0833 AEST (1538 hours Saturday 20 in LAX), the QFi A388 wasn't yet displaying on FR24. This isn't unusual, as one AFF aviator pointed out, given sometimes the signal can be subject to interference from buildings, but it sometimes isn't a good sign. Time will tell: possible that at the last minute, this Friday night QF12 could be cancelled. Flight crews can work up to 20 hour shifts IIRC, with it likely this crew may have signed on at around 1200 'high noon' in LAX on Saturday, so already they're 3.5 hours into their shift.

 

[milehighclub]

VHOQK just took off.

 

[Flyerqf]

QF1 is now departing SYD at 6am tomorrow.

 

[Melburnian1]

VHOQK just took off.

Thanks: it may gain more than officially indicated, but QFi suggests it'll 'arrive' (touch down) in SYD at 2259 hours tonight, as it departed on the knocker of 1600 hours Saturday LAX time, and was airborne at 1619 hours (0919 AEST). Talk about sailing close to the wind!

 

[Melburnian1]

QF1 is now departing SYD at 6am tomorrow.

The suggested timings for A388 VH-OQK's overnight delayed QF1 are at SIN 1225 to 1350 hours on Monday 22 August, arriving LHR at 2045 hours, 830 minutes late.

QF2, Monday night's mid evening 2105 hours is expected to depart 95 minutes tardy at 2240. It should then stop in SIN from 1905 to 2030 hours with SYD arrival on Tuesday 23 at 0615, 65 minutes late, after which one would hope operations return to normal.

Days differ, but often QFi struggles to turn around an A380 in two hours, so it won't be overly surprising if the QF2 is more delayed than indicated.

Monday's QF1, the 1555 hours SYD-SIN-LHR is showing on QFi's flight status as 'on time' but FR24 has it departing at 0600 hours (presumably Tuesday 23). This may be FR24 becoming confused, as how else would it 'know' other than from the airline concerned?

QF81 (1110 hours Sunday 21 August SYD - SIN) is expected to push back in 20 minutes, half an hour late.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Saturday 20 August, QF63 (B789 VH-ZNG, the 0930 hours midmorning SYD across to JNB) did not take off until 1157 hours so gate arrival became 1757, 142 minutes behind schedule. The aircraft turned around and is operating QF64, the 1735 hours redeye not in the sky until 2036.

On Sunday 21, SYD at gate arrival looks like 1542 mid afternoon, also as luck would have it 142 minutes behind the eight ball.

The official estimate of this B789's next flight QF7 (1540 hours SYD - DFW) departing at 1650 hours this afternoon is optimistic: 1720 or later is probable.

'The 81' on Saturday 20 had A332 VH-EBO airborne at 1230, arriving SIN (ex SYD) at 1843 hours, 53 late, but thanks to more generous turnaround times than 'the 64 to 7' enjoys, the next two flights of EBO from SIN to SYD and on to AKL have been, or should be, arriving early.

In theory, the relatively short turnarounds for these B789 long haul rosters are good for shareholders (and management KPIs), but if things go a bit awry, delays can compound.

B789 VH-ZNJ on QF10 should arrive in PER today at 1248, 68 late as on Saturday 20 it took off from LHR at 1303 compared to a timetabled pushback of 1155 hours. This means a likely delayed arrival in MEL of more than half an hour: 1910 hours or beyond. At this stage, QF93, the 2110 hours MEL - LAX that is the next ZNJ flight should depart on time.

 

[Melburnian1]

Sunday 21 August's QF2 is further delayed, but only between SIN and SYD, presumably due to flight crew having insufficient rest for an earlier (i.e. closer to time) pushback.

The scheduled 1930 hours Monday 22 departure becomes 0200 on Tuesday 23's morning with SYD arrival put back to 1145 hours, 335 minutes late. At least there's advance notice to passengers: it isn't occurring with an announcement at check-in.

 

[Melburnian1]

Thanks: it may gain more than officially indicated, but QFi suggests it'll 'arrive' (touch down) in SYD at 2259 hours tonight, as it departed on the knocker of 1600 hours Saturday LAX time, and was airborne at 1619 hours (0919 AEST). Talk about sailing close to the wind!

FlightAware suggests it will land in Sydney at 2248 tonight, so adding my standard five minutes for arrival at gate (never completely accurate, and probably understates the time for many flights) means 2253 hours.

FR24 hasn't even recorded this flight (whether as 'QF12D', 'QF12' or anything else). FR24 often doesn't manage to record day-late flights.

 

[Melburnian1]

In more on Sunday 21 August 2022, QF43 (1625 hours SYD - DPS B738) has been delayed by 1400 minutes overnight to a new time for pushback of 1545 hours on Monday 22 August.

QF44 (2225 hours Sunday 21 redeye DPS down to SYD) should depart at 1055 on Tuesday 23, tentatively arriving SYD at 1850 hours on Tuesday instead of 0620 on Monday, so 2210 minutes behind schedule.

QF11 on Monday (1015 hours SYD - LAX) is delayed overnight until a claimed 1300 hours on Tuesday 23 August.

So on a day when QF announces in a blitz of publicity it's handing out A$50 vouchers to reduce the cost of overpriced return flights, along with various other sweeteners, we have multiple international flights hugely delayed, not just on the LAX/LHR routes.

B789 VH-ZNG arrived SYD on Sunday at 1538 hours, 138 minutes late ex JNB (QF64). It took off at QF7, the 1540 hours to DFW at 1740 so a 122 minute turnaround, not bad for an aircraft this size. Arrival same day should be at 1752, 112 minutes past what the timetable says.

 

[Ade]

QF486 MEL-SYD 1900 service delayed to 1915 and then to 1920.

Flying with my parents and sister. They are visiting me. My mums already asked me 5 times if I misread the text message I received about the flight delay from Qantas. she even walks over (she thinks she does it casually) to the gate to check if the flight is delayed or I have mucked it up