Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Friday 3 March, QF7, the 1750 hours SYD-DFW (B789 VH-ZNC) is expected to push back 65 minutes late. The aircraft arrived this afternoon 20 minutes late from JNB at 1345, so in theory has had plenty of time for a punctual departure.

 

[789nerd]

Thursday's QF10 LHR-PER (B789 VH-ZNF) ran about 20 minutes late, however the aircraft had 120 minutes on the ground rather than the scheduled 90 minutes, so left Perth 52 minutes late. It made up a little time to be 47 minutes late into Melbourne.

 

[789nerd]

Yes, but it must be after daylight saving commences in the UK, so it's really only a five minute change to schedules if my maths is correct, reflecting how Australia is an hour further behind the UK between 26 March (when UK goes on to daylight saving or 'summer' time) and 2 April, when we cease AEDT/ACDT.

Sorry, not quite right on those time differences ...
GMT/Z to AEDT = 11 hours : up to 25 March
UK BST to AEDT = 10 hours : 26 March to 1 April
UK BST to AEST = 9 hours : from 2 April
i.e. a one hour drop each change.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF19 on Friday 3 March arrived MNL 34 minutes late at 1734 hours with A332 VH-EBV but lost time on the ground, with redeye QF20 (the 1920 hours) not airborne until 2033, meaning Saturday 4 arrival in SYD at 0711 hours, 56 minutes tardy.

A333 VH-QPA, class leader, arrived BNE as QF52 from SIN at 0546 hours, 41 late on Saturday morning.

A332 VH-EBN on QF36 (SIN-MEL) was not much different, arriving at 0646, 31 minutes behind schedule.

VH-OQD (A388) on QF2 from LHR on Thursday 2, the 2040 hours, took off at 2124, arriving Sin on Friday 3 at 1850, 80 minutes behind. I didn't look last night but in recent days/nights SIN has had much holding for inbound aircraft, a sign that in Asia, international flights are gradually approaching what they were in 2019. No doubt Changi would be pleased. The flight then took off at 2115 hours so this extra time not in the air meant SYD arrival this morning (5) at 0753, 103 minutes behind the timetable.

The next QF2 (OQG) is similar with takeoff from LHR last night at 2126 suggesting at gate SIN arrival tonight at around the 1825 hours mark, 55 behind. It is guaranteed to be more than half an hour late into SYD on Sunday 6.

VH-OQJ on the LAX down to SYD QF12 should arrive at 0905, half an hour behind.

Much later on Saturday, the long haul QF64 from JNB should be at its SYD arrival gate at about 1412 mid afternoon, which would be 47 minutes past the allotted.

QF103 from SYD arrived HNL on Friday morning at 1011 hours, 46 minutes tardy with A333 VH-QPF. The 1110 hours notorious late runner, QF104 should depart at 1140 hours but often this proves to be optimistic. As I write it's 1142 local time on Friday in Hawaii. It would be interesting to have reports from travellers on 'the 103/104' to get to the nub of what causes delays, especially in Honolulu. Is it simply a busy airfield, does security at teh airport delay boarding because TSA is slow or does QFi not have many contractors there? It's quite unusual for QF104 to arrive SYD less than 15 minutes late, and often it's greater than an hour late on blocks.

 

[docjames]

Thursday's QF10 LHR-PER (B789 VH-ZNF) ran about 20 minutes late, however the aircraft had 120 minutes on the ground rather than the scheduled 90 minutes, so left Perth 52 minutes late. It made up a little time to be 47 minutes late into Melbourne.

I enjoy seeing the actual OTP on many of these flights (and thanks to you and all who post them) but can’t help but feel that 47min late on a 20-24hr journey is fairly immaterial.

If you drive SYD-MEL in 10h or 10h 30m it would be considered acceptable to be within 30min of expected.

I think we’ve lost some of the wonder of flight - nonstop LHR-PER really is amazing. A 45min delay is minor in the scheme of it.

 

[789nerd]

I think we’ve lost some of the wonder of flight - nonstop LHR-PER really is amazing. A 45min delay is minor in the scheme of it.

For passengers perhaps, but for busy airports e.g. LHR / LAX, anything over 30 minutes leads to problems.

We do generally wait until we see what the estimated arrival time is for flights that have departed late, and omit those that will be less than 30 minutes late at the destination.

One problem with timely reporting for Qantas flights is that there are often sizeable discrepancies between Qantas Flight Status & the tracking sites.

 

[789nerd]

B789 VH-ZNK is currently en-route Singapore - Sydney as QF6016, having completed Heavy Maintenance. FWIW Qantas Flight Status shows it as arriving at 19:42 AEDT, 2hrs 17 minutes late.

 

[789nerd]

Thursday's QF10 LHR-PER (B789 VH-ZNF) ran about 20 minutes late, however the aircraft had 120 minutes on the ground rather than the scheduled 90 minutes, so left Perth 52 minutes late. It made up a little time to be 47 minutes late into Melbourne.

Friday's QF10 VH- ZNG was just 5 minutes late into Perth, but again the onwards leg has been delayed, this time at least 80 minutes for an anticipated departure at 15:15 AWST, with the delay into Melbourne currently shown as 70 minutes for a 21:35 AEDT arrival.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Saturday 4, the QF1 that left Sydney on Friday late afternoon arrived at its LHR gate with VH-OQH at 0708 hours, 53 minutes tardy.

This afternoon's (4) QF1 (the 1705 hours from SYD to SIN/'LHR) is expected to depart at 1830 hours, so it is most unlikely to be less than an hour late into LHR on Sunday morning local time.

 

[789nerd]

Friday's QF10 VH- ZNG was just 5 minutes late into Perth, but again the onwards leg has been delayed, this time at least 80 minutes for an anticipated departure at 15:15 AWST, with the delay into Melbourne currently shown as 70 minutes for a 21:35 AEDT arrival.

The onward QF10 PER-MEL sector has now been cancelled.

 

[Flyerqf]

The onward QF10 PER-MEL sector has now been cancelled.

Must be a technical issue. ZNK freshly returned from SIN maintenance positioned down to MEL late last night to take the QF93 today that would have been operated by ZNG.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 5 March, QF11, the 1120 hours late morning SYD-LAX with A388 VH-OQG is estimated to depart at 1200 'high noon'. If it can, it should be less than half an hour late arriving in LAX going by recent days' performance on the route.

OQG had arrived SYD this morning at 0707 hours, 57 minutes late as QF2 from SIN and LHR. This flight runs more than half an hour late most days.

In the northwest bound direction, yesterday's QF1 from SYD (OQH) arrived SIN at 2334 hours (84 minutes late) and then took off on Sunday 5 at 0151 so estimated LHR gate time is 0750 hours, 95 late. Similarly, this flight has poor punctuality: one cause seems regularly exceeding the scheduled 90 minutes on the tarmac in Singapore.

 

[789nerd]

Must be a technical issue. ZNK freshly returned from SIN maintenance positioned down to MEL late last night to take the QF93 today that would have been operated by ZNG.

With the ZNK move, ZNG is now positioning to Sydney as QF6007

 

[789nerd]

Today's (Sunday) QF27 SYD-SCL (B789 VH-ZNH) pushed back 55 minutes late, and took off 20 minutes later.
After initially showing a Santiago arrival 30 minutes late, Qantas Flight Status now estimates a Santiago arrival 79 minutes late.
With only a scheduled 105 minute on ground in Santiago, the return QF28 will be delayed.

Edit : Oops, with a 165 minutes on ground, the return QF28 may not be delayed.

 

[Flyerqf]

With the ZNK move, ZNG is now positioning to Sydney as QF6007

ZNG is taking QF7 to Dallas today.

 

[Mattg]

I just watched QF498 land in SYD at 23:06 (give or take one minute), i.e. after curfew.

I was a tad surprised that this flight didn't turn around and go back to Melbourne, as I thought the 11pm curfew was very strict. Anyone know if this flight got special dispensation for some reason?

 

[Quickstatus]

after curfew.

One of these reasons?
A mechanical glitch delaying departure can be enough to grant dispensation due to exceptional circumstances.

Also here is the tabled dispensation occurrences for sept-Oct 22

 

[dylarr]

I just watched QF498 land in SYD at 23:06 (give or take one minute), i.e. after curfew.

I was a tad surprised that this flight didn't turn around and go back to Melbourne, as I thought the 11pm curfew was very strict. Anyone know if this flight got special dispensation for some reason?

Yes - I was on this flight. Captain made a PA with 'great news' as we were around the vicinity of CBR saying they had just received a dispensation to land no later than 11:10pm so they definitely departed without a dispensation probably hoping they could make up the time or get one approved en route. We landed at 11:07pm.

Knew something was up when any J pax travelling on this flight were paged to the service counter in the J lounge around 8:30pm. I was travelling Y but sitting near the desk and overheard the staff telling all the gathered J pax that they weren't sure the QF498 would get in and if they wanted to be guaranteed to get into SYD tonight they needed to go to the gate for QF496 immediately but it would be in economy. The staff had also made a number of pages for pax on QF498 without checked baggage to go to the service counter for earlier flights. I had checked bags so couldn't really do anything.

At the gate, discovered that the operating crew was still inbound on another flight and they didn't arrive at the aircraft until about 9:40pm. Staff were making announcements telling pax how important it was that we board as quickly as possible due to curfew and boarding would be rows etc. There was a bit of weather en route so due to that and time constraints the meal service was suspended.

I'm not entirely sure what the exact criteria was used for the dispensation to be granted. All in all, everyone did a great job making sure the flight got in!

I catch QF498 regularly, and more often than not there are no issues. But some of them can be tight. I had an almost identical experience back in October where the plane landed at 10:59:45pm. The flight attendant made an announcement when we landed, saying, "If you didn't realise, we made it in by 15 seconds!" I've never seen a door be closed, Aerobridge disconnected, and an aircraft pushed back so quickly as on this flight.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Monday 6 March, QF20 from MNL to SYD (A333 VH-QPA, the Sunday 5 1920 hours that took off at 2040) should arrive at about 0715 hours, an hour late. Surprising as QF19 last night arrived MNL only six minutes late at 1736 hours.

 

[Quickstatus]

time constraints the meal service was suspended.

QF498 got its skates on and got there in 58 min. Just a few minutes faster than usual.