Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[789nerd]

QF63, the Tuesday 30 August 0935 hours midmorning SYD-JNB is expected to push back two hours late, so QF64 tonight, the redeye back to Sydney, is guaranteed to be late arriving tomorrow.

QF63 operated by B789 VH-ZND eventually pushed back at 12:17, 162 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF63 operated by B789 VH-ZND eventually pushed back at 12:17, 162 minutes late.

This is because it was extremely late arriving in SYD on Tuesday 30 August as QF12 ex LAX, pulling into its gate at 1016 hours, 201 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Tuesday 30 August 2022, QF1 (A388 VH-OQB) should arrive at its LHR gate at 0735 hours, exactly an hour behind schedule.

In the opposite direction, southeast bound, QF2 has OQK and is arriving SIN at around 1810 hours, 45 late.

QF69 has as taskmaster A332 VH-EBP that on this 0940 hours schedule MEL-DEL was airborne 63 minutes later for suggested at gate arrival of 1840, 40 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

A332 VH-EBE arrived in MEL at 2350 hours as QF499 from SYD on Tuesday 30 August 2022, 15 late. Despite spending overnight in the Victorian capital, on Wednesday 31, QF151 (0710 hours MEL-AKL) did not take off until 0801 hours, arriving at 1315, half an hour behind the timetable. QF156, the 1355 hours return, is worse, taking off at 1525 for a suggested at gate MEL arrival time of 1705 hours, 55 minutes tardy.

QF143 (0930 hours SYD-AKL), a notorious tardy runner, was airborne at 1150 hours with A333 VH-QPJ, arriving at gate at 1624, 111 minutes behind the timetable.

The 0950 hours SYD-BKK has A333 VH-QPB, having taken off at 1108 hours for presumed arrival at 1730, 50 behind, guaranteeing that the 1810 hours redeye QF24 back to SYD will be tardy off its blocks.

QF19 (1230 hours lunchtime from SYD up to MNL) has been delayed in pushback to an estimated 1540 mid afternoon, so QF20 is likely to be at least 150 minutes late arriving back in Sydney tomorrow morning, so an 0900 hours gate arrival or beyond.

'The 41' to Jakarta from Sydney today (timetabled out at 1350) should depart at 1500, but hopefully may pick up a bit of time on the journey. It's an A332 not A333.

B789-operated QF7 (1540 hours SYD the long distance to Texas' DFW) is predicted to push back at 1700, 80 late, as is the 1555 hours QF1 to SIN and on to London's Heathrow, but it's always an A388. The delay to QF7 is probably because QF64 from JNB (VH-ZND) is expected to pull in to SYD at 1513 hours, 108 minutes later than its timetabled arrival of 1325 hours. This 1740 hours ex JNB didn't take off last night until 2018.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Wednesday 31, QF1, the 1555 hours SYD-SIN-LHR has just taken off at 1801 hours. Expected at gate SIN arrival becomes around 0017 hours on Thursday 1 September, 122 minutes late.

QF7 (SYD-DFW) is further delayed to 1750, but that time has passed.

'The 19' with A333 VH-QPB was up up and away at 1602 this afternoon for suggested arrival tonight of 2203 hours, 193 minutes behind the eight ball. This aircraft had arrived from MNL on the redeye at 0649 this morning so either it required repairs or flight crew were unavailable until mid afternoon.

A332 VH-EBM arrived in SYD today at 1150 hours, only five minutes behind schedule as QF517 ex BNE and then transferred to the international terminal in Sydney, taking off as QF41 at 1554, 124 minutes after timetabled pushback. CGK at gate arrival is estimated at 2020 hours, 95 behind.

 

[Melburnian1]

Also on Wednesday, QF19 arrived MNL (A333 VH-QPB) at 2156, 186 minutes late with QF20, the 2035 hours back down to SYD airborne at midnight with SYD arrival on Thursday 1 September 2022 at 0928 hours, 178 late. The next flight, 'the 81' from SYD to SIN is on time.

QF24 from BKK overnight arrived this morning at 0718, 48 minutes behind schedule, with A333 VH-QPH that sicne then has not been used.

A332 VH-EBP is on QF69, the "express" from MEL to DEL that not so long ago stopped only outbound in Adelaide. It should arrive the Indian major centre and capital at 1840 tonight, 40 minutes past the timetable.

QF7 on Thursday has B789 VH-ZNC, taking off at 1701 hours for suggested at gate arrival in DFW of 0750, 50 minutes late on the same day.

Much earlier today, B738 VH-VZW on QF151 (0710 hours SYD-AKL) arrived at its gate at 1316, 31 late as it was in the sky at 0755 hours.

'The 10' from LHR was in PER today (B789 VH-ZNJ from 1221 hours (41 minutes tardy) to takeoff at 1400 and is arriving MEL at 1912 hours, 32 minutes behind the timetable.

QF1 (SYD at 1555 hours then SIN and LHR) took off at 1653 so the intermediate stop looks to be commencing at about 2301 hours, 46 late, but it may still be possible to be 'punctual' at LHR if everything goes well.

B789 VH-ZNE on QF12, the 2255 hours Wednesday LAX to SYD was airborne at 0042 local time this morning, so arrival tomorrow morning is expected at around 0754, 59 minutes down.

 

[789nerd]

B789 VH-ZNE on QF12, the 2255 hours Wednesday LAX to SYD was airborne at 0042 local time this morning, so arrival tomorrow morning is expected at around 0754, 59 minutes down.

QF12 eventually arrived in Sydney 69 miinutes late, meanwhile the extra QF18 (B789 VH-ZNA) which left LAX just 7 minutes after QF12, 54 minutes late, arrived in Sydney 8 minutes after QF12 and just 17 minutes late. It should be noted that both these aircraft were on the ground at the LAX base for over 24 hours prior to these flights.

Also, the QF11/QF12 scheduling seems a bit awry at present with A380s and B789s not following the published time table.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Friday 2 September, QF23 (0950 hours from SYD up to BKK) was in the sky at 1044 hours so expected at gate arrival is 1717 hours, 37 late.

QF19, the 1230 hours lunchtime SYD-MNL is expected to depart at 1600 mid afternoon, so QF20 back into SYD tomorrow morning may well be more than three hours late.

A333 VH-QPB arrived as QF82 ex SIN in SYD this morning at 0632 hours, 18 minutes ahead of schedule, but then departed late (taking off at 1128 hours) as the 0930 hours SYD-AKL QF143. Gate arrival became 1602 hours, 87 minutes late.

A388 VH-OQH on QF1 should arrive at LHR this morning (UK time) at 0711 hours, 36 behind.

 

[Melburnian1]

Although QF19 had been estimated to depart Sydney at 1600 hours on Friday 2 September 2022, it did not take off until 1742 hours. A333 VH-QPJ should arrive in MNL at gate at 2354 hours, 304 minutes late. QFi is estimating that QF20 will arrive SYD at 1105 hours tomorrow morning, 275 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

In more on 2 September 2022, A333 VH-QPB on QF146, delayed due to QF143 this morning being tardy, took off from AKL at 1919, arriving SYD at 2041 hours, 171 minutes late. It then formed QF103 to HNL, the 1925 hours that departed at 2232. QF104 will be at least 140 minutes late arriving back in SYD tomorrow night, and at this stage is also running 'the 103', so expect this to be delayed on two consecutive nights. I'd be surprised if tomorrow (Saturday 3) it was up up and away above SYD before 2115, despite its scheduled 1925 hours departure.

 

[Melburnian1]

Still on Friday night 2 September 2022, QF2034 (Q400 VH-QOC) was the 1850 hours SYD-ARM airborne at 2021. It travelled as far north as just south of Aberfoyle (broadly east of Gura) and made numerous racecourse circuits, but returned to SYD, landing at about 2240 hours.

The relative humidity at Armidale was 96 per cent an hour ago so while I am not a meteorologist - far from it - presumably there was fog or very low cloud.

 

[Melburnian1]

The badly delayed QF19 on Friday 2 September reached MNL's gate at 2345 hours, 295 minutes late. A330 VH-QPJ was airborne on QF20, the 2035 hours from Manila at 0138 this morning with SYD expected at gate arrival becoming 1100 hours, 270 minutes late.

QPJ has been at least an hour late arriving on eight of its last 13 flights, and has only been on time once. Not good, though many of the A333s are better.

B789 VH-ZNB on QF10 should arrive PER today at 1214 hours, 34 minutes behind schedule.

This morning, A388 VH-OQK arrived SYD as QF2 at 0609 hours, 59 minutes late despite being only 35 late arriving in SIN yesterday afternoon.

 

[Melburnian1]

The B789 on QF7, Saturday 3 September's 1540 hours SYD_DFW is expected to shortly depart at 1720 hours, so it should be at least an hour late arriving in Texas.

 

[Melburnian1]

Perhaps due to flight crew not having enjoyed sufficient (mandatory) rest in SIN, QF2 from LHR arrived SIN only 18 late on Saturday 3 September but didn't take off until 0133 this morning. Sunday 4 SYD arrival at gate should be 1026 hours, 316 late.

The Saturday QF2 is arriving SIN tonight at 1808, 43 late.

B789 VH-ZNC on QF64 from JNB should pull in to its gate on Sunday afternoon at 1525 hours in SYD, 125 minutes tardy as 'the 63' outbound yesterday was similarly late, with that 0935 hours flight not airborne until 1153.

After arriving extremely late from MNL yesterday as QF20, A333 VH-QPJ operated QF6403 from SYD to HNL, a 1630 hours flight not up up and away until 1919 in the early evening. HNL arrival was at 0843 hours, 148 minutes late. Was this a 'special' due to the huge problems JQi is having with its B788 fleet? The latter's international schedules are in chaos.

 

[789nerd]

Qantas sponsored ARU charter to Auckland and Buenos Aires (EZE) operated by B789 VH-ZNA as QF307 left Sydney 69 minutes late at 9:44.
Qantas Flight status shows a slight catch up with the onward leg projected to depart Auckland 55 minutes late at 16:35, and and arrive at Pistorini with same delay.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Saturday 3 September, the 1540 hours mid afternoon QF7 (SYD-DFW, B789 VH-ZNH) was airborne at 1739, arriving same day at 1820 hours, 140 minutes late.

Today's has VH-ZNC that arrived on QF64 (EX JNB overnight) at 1532 hours, 132 minutes late. I would have though 'two hour quick turnaround' but QF is indicating QF7 should depart Sydney at 1900 in the early evening for mooted DFW at gate arrival at 1925, 205 late. As teh returning flight QF8 isn't scheduled to push back until 2250 tonight local time in Texas, it should be punctual.

These timetabled brief turnarounds in Sydney for some B789 rosters often mean the next flight outbound is delayed.

 

[Melburnian1]

In more on Sunday 4, QF1, the 1555 hours SYD-SIN-LHR is estimated to depart at 1730, making an on time arrival in LHR possible but fairly challenging.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Sunday 4 September, QF1 took off from SYD at 2105 hours, more than three hours after its previously estimated revised departure time.

The SIN stop is likely from (Monday 5) 0257 hours, 282 minutes late.

It's not new, but the number of times these Qantas long haul flights run significantly late is out of kilter with most of its better known competitors. The latter are not free of delays (and cancellations) but these are far rarer in most cases than Qantas experiences. QFi on its longer routes seems a circus, although there are exceptions such as QF5/6 SYD-PER-FCO and return that since inception has generally had excellent punctuality. QF75/76 to/from YVR aren;t bad, and BNE-LAX return flights QF51/52 seem very good as well. However, the FCO one is only seasonal: the airline equivalent of a 'special limited time edition' of Coke or Pepsi.

 

[eminere]

Is there a reason for these persistent delays? That QF1 performance in particular is shocking.

 

[Melburnian1]

Is there a reason for these persistent delays? That QF1 performance in particular is shocking.

My uneducated guess is that some delays are due to unavailability of flight crew, maybe due to previous late running meaning the staff haven't had sufficient required rest either at home in Australia or in locations such as Singapore. IIRC, the tour of duty has two nights in London and Singapore but some delays have been so significant that a fair whack of this has been cut into.

Rigid COVID-19 isolation rules are shortly reducing to five days from the current seven but at the risk of being controversial, these are a major hindrance to businesses of all shapes and sizes, not just QFi, so really they ought have been scrapped given COVID's median age of death in Oz is still above 80. In other words, 50 years olds by and large recover from catching it, just as we do from influenza or a sprained ankle. Many employers believe staff rort this 'iso' and enjoy seven days' holiday by contacting their employer and claiming 'I tested positive'.

Whether repairs/urgent maintenance are delaying these long distance flights is unknown, but also possible.

If anything, the B789 fleet in terms of block hours seems to be pushed harder than the A388s. AFFer B789nerd keeps a close eye on this and like me has recorded more than a few cancellations and major delays.

I couldn't agree more with what you say, eminere: how can rivals like SQ and a host of others typically get us to our destinations punctually or not far off it, yet so often as documented in these pages, a flight like QF1 can't? Even the MEL-PER-LHR and return QF9/10 aren't as timely as they were pre-COVID-19