Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

VH-OQG left SYD gate for QF1 but has since returned to gate and is significantly delayed. Same plane as the return to gate QF11 on Friday.

EDIT: new ETA 2130

QFi suggests this will eventually result in the plane arriving LHR on Monday 26 December at 1010 hours, 235 minutes behind schedule. This assumes it will only spend 90 minutes at the SIN gate, but many QF1s spend longer.

 

[Flyerqf]

Looks like a technical issue with OQG, as they appear to be waiting the inbound aircraft from the delayed QF2 that is landing at 1945.

 

[Melburnian1]

Still on 25 December 2022, QF27 (B789 VH-ZNC, the 1235 hours SYD-SCL) took off at 1418 so same day arrival should be about 1207 hours, 72 minutes behind the timetable.

Flyerqf, assuming QF2 is at its gate from 1950, to suggest departure at 2130 hours mid evening seems optimistic. I'd guess 2230 hours given it's such a huge aircraft.

 

[Melburnian1]

The GYD-LHR QF1D arrived LHR at 0808 hours on Christmas Day.

Pleasing that the (originally 356, but fewer as some decamped to other airlines in GYD) passengers arrived safely today, but unfortunately they were 2993 minutes late on the original schedule.

 

[Quickstatus]

QF1D arrived

If the A380 fleet were fully utilised, I can only wonder what would have been the outcome

 

[Melburnian1]

If the A380 fleet were fully utilised, I can only wonder what would have been the outcome

Days and days of late running, or cancellations, as we've seen previously.

There's a silver lining if bookings are low. Perhaps not overly surprising, as there is choice in carriers, and most times, QFi's fares would be above all competitors, even though historically SQ would have been the most expensive.

But no worries: domestically or internationally, the ACCC claims there's no 'price gouging' occurring. I wonder how many of these staff are invitees to what I found on a small number of visits years ago to be the sterile CLs?

 

[OATEK]

Days and days of late running, or cancellations, as we've seen previously.

There's a silver lining if bookings are low. Perhaps not overly surprising, as there is choice in carriers, and most times, QFi's fares would be above all competitors, even though historically SQ would have been the most expensive.

But no worries: domestically or internationally, the ACCC claims there's no 'price gouging' occurring. I wonder how many of these staff are invitees to what I found on a small number of visits years ago to be the sterile CLs?

Every time I have booked this year (a sample of 2 SYD-LHR-SYD), QF was cheaper in J than QR, SQ and AY!!
The recovery of QF1 from Baku is a positive outcome for the airline IMHO.

Delays happen, and when a 4 engine job with a lot of pax is the subject, then it can go pear shaped very quickly for a lot people. I am sure there will be some complainers, but overall this is one delay that I expect will be a net-positive for QF.

 

[Melburnian1]

This is showing as forming a delayed QF2 that hopefully will push back at 0930 hours, 810 minutes late. However the same situation yesterday saw arrival at 0714 hours and takeoff (not pushback) on the dot of 1030 hours, so turnaround may take a bit longer than QFi estimates.

Sure enough, the overnight delayed QF2 (that originally was timetabled to push back at 2040 hours from LHR on 24 December) is further put back to an estimated 1050 hours on Christmas Day ex the English capital. (This was two minutes ago).

SYD arrival tomorrow night after 2000 hours is likely.

25 December's QF1 (A388 VH-OQG) departed SYD at 2147 hours, 282 minutes late.

UPDATE: It was airborne at 2208 hours.

 

[Flyerqf]

No aircraft change. OQG has left gate again for QF1. Pax disembarked and boarded again.

 

[Melburnian1]

Sure enough, the overnight delayed QF2 (that originally was timetabled to push back at 2040 hours from LHR on 24 December) is further put back to an estimated 1050 hours on Christmas Day ex the English capital. (This was two minutes ago).

A388 VH-OQD on the overnight delayed 24 December QF2 (2040 hours ex LHR) has just taken off at 1116 hours on Christmas Day. after pushing back at 1100 hours. SIN arrival is estimated as 0814 hours on Boxing Day, 26 December 2022, 884 minutes late. QFi estimates SYD arrival tomorrow evening at 2040 hours, 890 late.

My guess is a little later given the propensity for SIN stays to take longer than timetabled.

 

[Melburnian1]

No idea why and obviously overshadowed by the QF1 dramas, but QF43 diverted to CGK last night causing an overnight delay to QF44 which will depart 20:50 this evening. Unfortunate for the passengers.

Aircraft A332 VH-EBJ took off from DPS at 2140 hours on Christmas Eve as QF9044, perhaps an empty ('ferry') flight (although that's an unusual number for these, as usually they are QF60XX, so perhaps it operated as a passenger-carrying special given the likely backlog to convey).

On Christmas Day, it looks to have been in Sydney all day but late at night it left there and is arriving MEL of all places as QF499 at 2321 hours, 14 minutes early (the 2200 hours ex SYD).

 

[Flyerqf]

QF9044, perhaps an empty ('ferry') flight (although that's an unusual number for these, as usually they are QF60XX, so perhaps it operated as a passenger-carrying special given the likely backlog to convey)

QF9044 is the 24 hour delayed QF44, with 90 added to differentiate it from the on time QF44. Normally these operate with a D at the end.

 

[Melburnian1]

Fog was predicted for Monday 26 December 2022's morning in SYD, and must be present as QF44, the 2120 hours DPS redeye down to SYD that took off at 2138 on Christmas night has been in a holding pattern for ages over Ingleburn and East Hills, an unusual location for same.

Aircraft is A332 VH-EBC.

Meanwhile, flights scheduled for departure from SYD are able to take off, albeit with smallish delays that from what one can see will (so far) mean arrivals less than half an hour late, which I don't normally record.

UPDATE: QF44 landed at 0647 hours in SYD, so allowing five arbitrary minutes for it to be on blocks at its allocated gate, it will be 22 minutes late arriving.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with an at least slightly fog-disrupted early morning for arrivals in Sydney on what is traditionally one of the busiest annual days for air travel, 26 December, QF76 (B789 VH-ZND) is arriving at 0711 hours, 36 late after having to hold above Singleton NSW for a while.

A333 VH-QPJ as QF82 from SIN to SYD arrived at 0740 hours, half an hour behind schedule.

A333 VH-QPH on QF24, the 1800 hours Christmas Day redeye from BKK down to SYD took off only about 10 minutes late at 1832 hours. On 26 December as at 0734, it was holding above Crookwell NSW, so arrival has blown out to be at least 35 minutes late at 0805 hours.

The 0600 hours CBR-SYD was presumably held at the gate for a long time as it did not become airborne until 0716 hours. Q400 VH-LQJ should arrive at about 0801 hours, 66 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Showing the adverse effect of the now cleared (it seems) early morning fog in Sydney on 26 December 2022, QF410 (0700 hours MEL-SYD, B738 VH-VYZ) was only in the early stages of taxiing by 0748 hours, so will be at least half an hour late arriving.

 

[Melburnian1]

The earlier fog in SYD restricted arrivals from landing until 0647 hours on Monday 26 December 2022, so it looks like ATC have had departures from elsewhere on the ground. This may have been exacerbated by the respectively 80/20 hourly and quarter hour SYD movements cap.

QF414, the 0730 hours MEL-SYD did not take off until 0824 hours with arrival for B738 VH-VZV likely at 0935 hours, 40 minutes late.

Boxing Day is normally busy with many aircraft having an intensive roster. While it will depend on factors such as how tight scheduled turnarounds are, some aircraft will find a 40 minute delay difficult to improve upon for the whole day.

The OOL-SYD QF591 has B738 VH-YYI. Predicted at gate arrival is 35 late at 0905 hours.

Smaller Q400 VH-LQB is on QF2061, the 0650 hours BNK down to SYD airborne at 0757 for suggested arrival of 0922 hours, 62 minutes behind schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

Also on Boxing Day, QF69, the 0920 hours MEL-DEL is delayed until 1300 this afternoon in pushback. A332 VH-EBO has sat in MEL since 1227 yesterday but must be unavailable.

 

[Melburnian1]

Presumably it can't be helped because the more important maintenance occurs in Sydney, not Melbourne, but QFi keeps having to run special positioning ('ferry') flights between SYD and either MEL or BNE.

On Boxing Day 2022, QF6001 (B789 VH-ZND) took off from SYD at 1047 and should arrive MEL at about 1157 hours. Is it forming QF21, the 1400 hours MEL-DFW? If so, there's a fair chance it'll be late off blocks.

 

[Melburnian1]

The overnight delayed QF2 (A388 VH-OQD) from LHR arrived SIN at 0759 hours this morning, with suggested departure for SYD becoming 0940 hours local time, 865 minutes late.

While OQJ on the next QF2 (ex LHR at 2040 scheduled on Christmas night) took off promptly at 2109, and therefore SIN arrival today (26) will be at 1758 hours, it iosn't expected to depart until 2216, 181 minutes late.

Most likely this is due to delayed QF2s meaning pilots and cabin crew haven't had the required minimum rest period.

Colleague OQG on the QF1 that departed SYD quite late last night took off from SIN at 0449 hours on Monday 26, with LHR arrival likely (local time) at 1036 hours, 261 minutes behind schedule.

 

[Flyerqf]

Presumably it can't be helped because the more important maintenance occurs in Sydney, not Melbourne, but QFi keeps having to run special positioning ('ferry') flights between SYD and either MEL or BNE.

Maintenance on 787 is done in MEL and LAX as far as I am aware. The positioning flights are to increase utilisation. For example, on Tue-Thu when QF9/10 doesn’t operate between MEL-PER-MEL, the aircraft is used on services ex SYD.