Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[milehighclub]

Any ideas?
View attachment 317345

I dare say flight radar might be a bit confused as two flights yesterday had QF6013. OQK did a flight yesterday (SYD-SYD) and is doing one right now (QF6014 SYD-SYD). Most likely pilot training. OQH also did 6013 to LAX.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF87 was supposedly delayed in SYD until a 1400 hours pushback on 23 February 2023, but it was not airborne until 1451, so expected ICN at gate arrival becomes 2254 hours, 274 minutes late. QF88 will be similarly tardy.

 

[Melburnian1]

A333 VH-QPF on 23 February arrived SYD as QF104 at 2056 hours, 136 minutes late.

This plane is next off on 'the 25' to HND, the 2135 hours predicted to push back at 2220 hours. With luck (and good management), it may only be about 40 late arriving in Tokyo tomorrow morning. Time will tell.

 

[789nerd]

ZNB arrived in Brisbane at 09:25 AEST, and departed for Melbourne at 10:31 AEST. Imminent arrival in Melbourne is 13:45 AEDT, overall 5 hours 45 minutes late.

There have been several flow ons from this delay ...

Yesterday's QF93 MEL-LAX (VH-ZNB) left Melbourne 4 hrs 54 minutes late & arrived in Los Angeles 4 hrs 17 minutes late.

Then QF18 LAX-SYD (same aircraft) left Los Angeles 182 minutes late, and is now expected into Sydney at 22:06 AEDT late this evening, 151 minutes late.

Meanwhile the continued absence of VH-ZNI (in Melbourne Maintenance since arriving with QF22 early last Monday), sees B789 VH-ZNF (currently positioning from Sydney as QF6001 62 minutes late), to take over operation of today's full QF9.

The flow on result is an 11 hr 25 minute delay for QF93 (the 4th this week) - now departing at 22:25 AEDT, and presumably to be operated by by VH-ZNE after it arrives with today's full QF10 at 20:25 AEDT, since there are no other B789s in Melbourne.

 

[Melburnian1]

In further on Friday 24 February 2023, QF67, the 0930 hours SYD-BLR with A332 VH-EBR, took off at 1114 hours. Gate arrival is estimated as 1657 hours, 72 minutes behind the timetable.

QF27 (lunchtime 1235 hours SYD-SCL) is not expected to depart until 1700 late this afternoon, so anyone in Santiago de Chile should be aware that QF28 is likely to be at least similarly late. This should be operated by another of B789nerd's favourite class of aircraft. A heck of a lot of late running with the B789s!

A388 VH-OQD is estimated to arrive LHR today on QF1 at 0658 hours, 43 late. IIRC, the schedules were slowed due to numerous airlines having to avoid perceived dangerous airspace such as above Iran/Russia yet QFi continues to have great difficulty arriving LHR even within half an hour of the timetable.

OQB on QF2 ex SIN and earlier LHR arrived SYD this morning at 0655, 45 down while the next one with OQJ should be about 36 minutes tardy arriving in SIN early this evening at 1806 hours.

 

[789nerd]

QF27 (lunchtime 1235 hours SYD-SCL) is not expected to depart until 1700 late this afternoon, so anyone in Santiago de Chile should be aware that QF28 is likely to be at least similarly late. This should be operated by another of B789nerd's favourite class of aircraft. A heck of a lot of late running with the B789s!

With VH-ZNF having gone to Melbourne (as noted earlier), VH-ZNC seemingly being worked on in Sydney Maintenance, and VH-ZNH about to arrive from Jo'burg with QF64, it appears QF27/QF28 may be waiting on either VH-ZNH or the much delayed VH-ZNB to arrive in Sydney ?

 

[789nerd]

A heck of a lot of late running with the B789s!

Just one aircraft since Wednesday : ZNB on 4 consecutive flights, during which time there have been 16 on-time B789 flights for the other 8 operational aircraft.

 

[Melburnian1]

With VH-ZNF having gone to Melbourne (as noted earlier), VH-ZNC seemingly being worked on in Sydney Maintenance, and VH-ZNH about to arrive from Jo'burg with QF64, it appears QF27/QF28 may be waiting on either VH-ZNH or the much delayed VH-ZNB to arrive in Sydney ?

No, QF27 on 24 February took off from SYD at 1756 hours with B789 VH-ZNC that had arrived at its gate at 0634, a minute early, as QF76 from YVR. 'The 27' is estimated to arrive SCL at 1602 hours today, 307 minutes late. Fortunately the timetable has a 165 minute generous turnaround in Santiago de Chile that may be able to be trimmed if everything goes to plan, so perhaps 'the 28' today might realistically depart at 1740, take off at a guess at 1800 hours local time and arrive SYD on Saturday night (25 February) at its gate at around 2150 to 2200 hours.

VH-ZNH instead has gone to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas as the 1755 hours QF7 airborne promptly at 1811 hours early this evening.

From LAX as QF18, ZNB is coming to its allocated gate in SYD town at a suggested 2223 hours, 573 minutes late.

 

[789nerd]

The flow on result is an 11 hr 25 minute delay for QF93 (the 4th this week) - now departing at 22:25 AEDT, and presumably to be operated by VH-ZNE after it arrives with today's full QF10 at 20:25 AEDT, since there are no other B789s in Melbourne.

B789 VH-ZNE operating as QF93D MEL-LAX eventually pushed back in Melbourne at 23:44 AEDT, 12 hours 44 minutes late. Estimated arrival into Los Angeles is 19:00 PST, 12 hrs 40 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Saturday 25 February sees A388 VH-OQB on QF12 (LAX to SYD) arriving at 0928 hours, 53 minutes late.

Due to QF27's tradiness (see above), QF28 (B789 VH-ZNC) was in SCL yesterday from arriving at gate at 1606 hours to takeoff at 1827, so estimated Saturday 25 SYD at gate arrival is 2240 hours, 290 minutes late.

As 789nerd previously remarked, B789 VH-ZNI has been in Melbourne for maintenance since last Monday. As of 1050 AEDT on 25, it still is not showing as operating a flight. ZNK is the other one that's not recently operated.

 

[789nerd]

Fortunately the timetable has a 165 minute generous turnaround in Santiago de Chile that may be able to be trimmed if everything goes to plan, so perhaps 'the 28' today might realistically depart at 1740, take off at a guess at 1800 hours local time and arrive SYD on Saturday night (25 February) at its gate at around 2150 to 2200 hours.

Very Close .
QF28 (VH-ZNC) pushed back in Santiago at 18:10 CLST, and is currently expected into Sydney at 21:52 AEDT this evening, just over 4 hours late.

 

[Melburnian1]

A333 VH-QPJ on QF87, the 0935 hours midmorning SYD-ICN took off at 1008 hours but is diverting to BNE, having flown offshore for many nautical miles. It is expected back in BNE at 1630 for a snappy 1730 departure, with arrival in ICN expecterd at 0235 hours on Sunday 26, 425 minutes late.

Have a look at the flight route on FR24 as it's also undertaken an odd racecourse circuit offshore roughly in line with Marlborough, Queensland.

I don't know if this is a medical diversion (perhaps unlikely as CNS might be a suitable destination, but would lack replacement QFi flight and cabin crew if needed), bad weather or a fault with the aircraft. There's rain near Weipa and it appears (not unusually) to be very cold in Seoul. There's no tropical cyclone up the 'top end' of Oz.

QF88 tonight from ICN to SYD will be extremely badly delayed. Perhaps passengers may end up overnight in hotels, as no guarantee the BNE stop will just be an hour.

 

[789nerd]

As 789nerd previously remarked, B789 VH-ZNI has been in Melbourne for maintenance since last Monday. As of 1050 AEDT on 25, it still is not showing as operating a flight. ZNK is the other one that's not recently operated.

With VH-ZNI still out of commission, today's QF10 PER-MEL & QF9 MEL-PER sectors have been cancelled, with VH-ZNG turning around in Perth to operate today's QF9 PER-LHR.

The absence of VH-ZNI comes on top of it being out for five days in LAX Maintenance from 7th Feb. VH-ZNK is not due back from Singapore Maintenance until late next week, probably Friday, although 'holes' were made in the B789 schedules to accommodate this absence (and the previous absence of ZNJ). Most of the removed flights come back into the schedule after next weekend, some not as we approach the schedule changes for the Northern Summer season.

 

[Melburnian1]

VH-QPJ (A333) on the diverted QF87 from SYD toi ICN arrived back in BNE on Saturday 25 February at 1614 hours.

Most unusually, passengers (and presumably luggage and perhaps freight) transferred to A333 VH-QPD in what appears to be its first flight in the last week. This departed at 1842 hours and was airborne at 1901 AEST tonight. ICN arrival should be at the uncomfortable hour of 0255 hours, 515 minutes late.

QF88 back to SYD is suggested as pushing back in Seoul at 0500 hours on Sunday 26 for eventual SYD arrival at around 1730 late tomorrow afternoon, 555 minutes behind the schedule.

One can't be definitive, but the aircraft swap may suggest there was something wrong with QPJ. It's now out of position.

QF81, the 1230 hours Sunday 26 SYD_SIN lunchtime service is expected to depart 35 minutes late.

 

[Quickstatus]

QFi continues to have great difficulty arriving LHR even within half an hour of the timetable.

Did the change from DXB back to SIN improve QF1/2 punctuality?

I'm not sure if the "Please explain" letter from LHR about QF tardiness a few years ago made any difference?

 

[789nerd]

Saturday's QF10 LHR_PER (B789 VH-ZNF) is currently posted as delayed 70 minutes for a 13:00 GMT/Z departure

 

[levelnine]

QF12 diverting to BNE. Anyone know why?

 

[Melburnian1]

Did the change from DXB back to SIN improve QF1/2 punctuality?

I'm not sure if the "Please explain" letter from LHR about QF tardiness a few years ago made any difference?

Hard to know: it may have slightly, but we lack comparative data.

Some delays are not QFi's fault: medical diversion is the classic example. But too many others are arguably within the control of the airline, or able to be directly compared to how other international airlines operating between Oz and London, some via SIN, though most via other variants, fare.

Funny how QF1/QF2 so often spend excess time in SIN and hence arrive more than 15 minutes, and often more than half an hour, late in LHR/SYD respectively.

Yet with the exception of a blimp recorded in these pages a small number of months ago, BA15/16 largely manage to operate punctually, while operating the same route as QF1/2.

One does wonder if again, as you imply, QFi will have to have senior staff meet management at LHR given the constant missing of booked slot times, and resultant occupation of a gate at times other than scheduled.

While a bit of a 'sleeper issue', QF9/QF10 don't always cover themselves in glory timekeeping-wise either, though not as consistently delayed as 'the 1/the 2' from what one observes.

 

[Melburnian1]

The badly delayed 'change of aircraft via Brisbane' SYD-ICN QF87 SYD-ICN arrived on Sunday 26 February at 0320 hours with A333 VH-QPD. The aircraft is now southbound on QF88, the 1950 Saturday 25 ICN-SYD airborne at 0553 on Sunday for a suggested at gate arrival of 1758 very late this afternoon, 583 minutes later than the timetabled 0815 hours this morning.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF12 diverting to BNE. Anyone know why?

In this case, because A338 VH-OQB did not take off until 0335, about four and a half hours late out of LAX, it may be because the flight crew would exceed their permitted duty hours had they continued on from BNE to SYD. I am assuming they signed on at the normal time and then a problem with the A380 was discovered.

IIRC, jb747 said the normal maximum hours of duty was 18 but by agreement this can be extended to 20, and he implied the latter (when required) almost always occurred.

A replacement flight (and probably cabin) crew would have to be flown up from Sydney this morning I'd guess.

Otherwise, diversions can occur southeast bound due to adverse winds. Due to sector length, this seems to affect QF94 from LAX down to MEL the most, although only occasionally. Presumably the possibility varies by time of year.