Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[tm.smile]

Tonight’s QF75 (originally scheduled for 8.25pm on 11APR) to YVR has been delayed to tomorrow at 1.15pm (12APR)

 

[Melburnian1]

Tonight’s QF75 (originally scheduled for 8.25pm on 11APR) to YVR has been delayed to tomorrow at 1.15pm (12APR)

Many thanks: I'd already mentioned this a small number of posts back.

Monday 11 April's QF11, the 1015 hours SYD - LAX (A388 VH-OQK) was not airborne until 1235 so arrival should be at around 0837 hours, 97 minutes behind the timetable.

B789 VH-ZNC is on QF63 (0935 hours midmorning SYD - JNB, often well patronised). It was in the sky at 1057 so expected arrival is 1633, 53 late.

QF23 (A333 VH-QPH) is the 0950 hours SYD - BKK that was airborne at a very late 1159. Arrival should be at 1753, 73 late.

The 1110 hours SYD - SIN, QF81, has A332 VH-EBQ took off at 1324. Slated arrival is 1908, 78 minutes late.

A333 VH-QPI is on QF19 (1230 hours SYD - MEL) that was up up and away at 1408 hours. Suggested at gate arrival is 1946 hours, 56 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

One I missed was QF9 on Monday 11 April, the 1430 hours MEL - DRW - LHR. B789 VH-ZNH was in the sky at 1831 so DRW arrival should be at 2153 hours, 223 minutes down. Assuming that it makes up some time on the way to LHR, arrival there on Tuesday 12 could be at around 0800 to 0830 local time.

Note above that QF1 is not allegedly pushing back until around 2115 tonight from SYD, so it is less punctual than QF9.

VH-ZNA arrived in MEL tonight at 2009 hours, 39 minutes late on QF10 ex DRW and earlier LHR.

 

[tm.smile]

Many thanks: I'd already mentioned this a small number of posts back.

My apologies I missed it. Is the main reason high utilisation of B787s and all out of place? Any reason why YVR seems to be particularly badly affected?

Will see what QF says tomorrow at check in, but will affect Canadian compensation laws depending on reason.

 

[Must...Fly!]

My apologies I missed it. Is the main reason high utilisation of B787s and all out of place?

I believe ZNE is AOG in MEL due to being the victim of (another...) Swissport related "oops" involving an engine cowling.

 

[Melburnian1]

I believe ZNE is AOG in MEL due to being the victim of (another...) Swissport related "oops" involving an engine cowling.

That's unusual jargon you used. Maybe when using it, best the first time in a thread like this to put 'AOG' in brackets after 'aircraft on (the) ground'. (I'm showing my ignorance by never having come across the term).

Great information as I and many others had no way of finding this out unless media reported it, so thank you. How long do you expect repairs may take? This aircraft has been in Melbourne since arriving on Saturday 9 April 2022 at 0831 hours, six minutes late as QF96 from LAX.

This would explain the difficulties QFi is having with flights delayed overnight or for hours. To have one of the 11 of this B789 fleet unexpectedly inoperative just before Easter is a disaster because flights (even with COVID-19) should be full or close to it.

QFi has only half the seating capacity on some routes like LHR that it enjoyed three or four years ago when the A388s were daily with slightly more than double the number of seats of a B789.

On Monday 11 April 2022, QF9, the 1940 hours DRW - LHR took off at 2339 with B789 VH-ZNH. LHR arrival should be at 0803 hours on Tuesday 12, 178 minutes late.

QF1, Monday's 1545 hours ex SYD took off at 2232 hours. The stop in DRW commenced at 0209 with VH-ZNB overstaying and taking off at 0432 hours this morning. so LHR arrival should be at 1301 hours, 386 minutes late.

QF63, the Tuesday 12 0945 hours SYD - JNB is delayed until 1230. This is also a B789 roster.

QF7, the 1540 hours DYD - DFW long flight has been cancelled today, as it's also normally a B789. That will help will schedule recovery on the B789 'network', but if the aircraft that's missing doesn't reenter service soon, the problem will recur. Perhaps QF7 passengers are rebooked on LAX-bound flights with a domestic from there to Texas?

 

[Melburnian1]

Apart from today's delays, tomorrow's (Wednesday 13 April 2022's) QF1, the 1545 hours mid afternoon from SYD to DRW and LHR is not predicted to depart until 2125 hours mid evening, making LHR arrival on Holy Thursday unlikely much before 1100 local time.

QF69, the 0925 hours Tuesday 12 MEL - ADL - DEL is suggested as pushing back at 0950 hours.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF64, the Monday 11 April 1740 hours JNB - SYD (B789 VH-ZNC) was in the sky at 1856 hours so on Tuesday 12 (today), arrival will be approximately 1427 hours, 62 minutes tardy.

The Sunday 10 QF2 ex LHR pointed skywards in DRW at 0156 hours on Tuesday 12, so SYD arrival was at 0623 hours, 73 minutes behind schedule.

The next QF2, the 2105 hours on Monday mid evening ex London Heathrow took off at 0040 on Tuesday 12. (I thought LHR only allowed very restricted numbers of passenger flights in the 'small hours'). VH-ZND is likely to arrive in DRW at 0200 hours on Wednesday 13, rather than 2230 tonight, so with the time difference, it's not likely to arrive in SYD much before 0830 AEST.

The more than 24 hours delayed QF179 (SYD - NLK) took off on Tuesday at 1057 hours with B738 VH-XZF.

A333 VH-QPA is today on QF143, the constantly delayed 0930 hours SYD - AKL that was airborne at 1034. Arrival should be at 1512 hours, 37 minutes behind the timetable. QPA had arrived on QF82 ex SIN, with pull in to the gate being at 0719, 29 late. Irrespective as to whether an inbound from Asia is on time or not, 'the 143' seems chronically unable to arrive AKL at close to the schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

Elizabeth Knight writes in 'SMH'/'The Age':

"Qantas has sent out an urgent plea to unrostered pilots to fly three international flights and a number of domestic flights scheduled for Wednesday due to “critically short uncrewed flying for tomorrow April 13″.

The communication, sent from Qantas Operations on Tuesday morning sighted by this masthead, said an unspecified flight to London, a Sydney to Johannesburg flight and a flight from Melbourne to Los Angeles were short of captains and first officers.

It is also looking for an unspecified number of crew to pilot A330 domestic flights on Wednesday - the start of the busy Easter holiday break...

...But the COVID hangover is causing a degree of havoc that may not be evident to passengers.

A recent post on a pilot chat room, Qrewroom, noted that on 17 flights they piloted over the past week, there had been delays on all ‘first flights’ waiting for baggage handling and/or catering, that some flights had departed with no catering (and no passenger compensation) and that there had been a wait for pushback vehicles to arrive due to the limited number of operating tugs operating in Sydney..."

 

[Melburnian1]

On Tuesday 12 April, the overnight delayed SYD - YVR QF75 (B789 VH-ZNF) took off at 1341, so same day arrival should be around the 1004 hours mark, 994 minutes late.

Monday 11's QF76 is estimated to depart YVR at 1150 hours with SYD arrival becoming 2000 hours on Wednesday 13, 790 minutes late.

A332 VH-EBR on QF69 from MEL took off this morning at a very late 1117 hours, arriving ADL at 1157 hours, 172 minutes behind. It was airborne at 1330, slightly overstaying the brief one hour stop allowance, so DEL arrival is anticipated at 2100, an even three hours tardy. This will mean QF70 back to MEL is unlikely to depart much before 2230 New Delhi time.

 

[Melburnian1]

My apologies I missed it. Is the main reason high utilisation of B787s and all out of place? Any reason why YVR seems to be particularly badly affected?

Will see what QF says tomorrow at check in, but will affect Canadian compensation laws depending on reason.

I've not researched but wouldn't Canadian compensation only be paid on outbound flights from that nation that met the stipulated criteria, similar to how the European EU 261 is calculated?

Is YVR especially badly affected compared to LHR or DFW flights? The only answer I can supply is "it depends" on QFi rosters, and perhaps even how many are booked back and forth (including freight/mail) and how easily passengers can be transferred to alternative flights if one is cancelled. We won't know the decision making process.

 

[tomlee1986]

Melbourne news tonight had been saying there was a crash of 787 in melbourne with a baggage trailer on saturday last week - source from 9 news Melbourne

https://twitter.com/x/status/1513791278848348170

 

[Melburnian1]

Thank you for the clip. Well done!

If you had read the previous posts, AFFer 'Must...Fly!' kindly let us know about this Saturday 9 April 2022 damage to VH-ZNE, a B789.

It has thrown schedules into chaos: see above.

An interesting report, particularly the suggestion that the aircraft will be inoperable 'indefinitely'. Notably QFi hasn't appeared to have said 'when', so that lends credence to the adverb's use.

QFi's claim that the incident has contributed little to delays is laughable spin. Just look at the posts above!

The report incorrectly said these aircraft were 'new'. I'd prefer to use the term 'of a young age' or similar.

 

[tomlee1986]

If you had read the previous posts, AFFer 'Must...Fly!' kindly let us know about this damage to VH-ZNE, a B789.

It has thrown schedules into chaos: see above.

thx for that... too many posts and not as easy to catch up with all the news

 

[Melburnian1]

This 'indefinite' grounding of VH-ZNE will inevitably mean more overnight or hours long delays to B789-operated international flights.

I'm not suggesting they should be, but there are no 'Queens of the Skies' in reserve to replace the 'missing' aircraft.

What might be interesting is whether this means QFi has to delay reintroduction of some international flights or routes. But B789s are presently only a fleet of 11, so not as if every Asian flight, for instance, uses one.

 

[tomlee1986]

This 'indefinite' grounding of VH-ZNE will inevitably mean more overnight or hours long delays to B789-operated international flights.

I'm not suggesting they should be, but there are no 'Queens of the Skies' in reserve to replace the 'missing' aircraft.

What might be interesting is whether this means QFi has to delay reintroduction of some international flights or routes. But B789s are presently only a fleet of 11, so not as if every Asian flight, for instance, uses one.

can A330 fleet help with some of the routings like the BNE LAX routing atm?? I thought A380 is also returning a bit too...

 

[Melburnian1]

QF63, the Tuesday 12 April 0945 hours SYD - JNB (B789 VH-ZNG) was up up and away at 1252 with arrival estimated as 1843 hours, 173 minutes tardy. QF64 back to Oz will be delayed as a result.

The 1430 hours mid afternoon QF9 (B789 VH-ZNK) pointed skywards at 1529 so expected arrival is 1940 hours in DRW, 90 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

can A330 fleet help with some of the routings like the BNE LAX routing atm?? I thought A380 is also returning a bit too...

All of that can and may/will occur I'd humbly suggest, but the point about the sudden availability of this B789 is that it was unexpected. So as usual with airlines, there's the complexity of staff being trained on one aircraft type but unavailable for any mooted 'replacement', compounded by current COVID-19 staffing difficulties with absenteeism.

 

[puchu]

Heard from a friend that the Tuesday evening QF12 LAX to SYD has been delayed by half a day to Wednesday morning. Any idea why?

 

[tm.smile]

I've not researched but wouldn't Canadian compensation only be paid on outbound flights from that nation that met the stipulated criteria, similar to how the European EU 261 is calculated?

Canada’s compensation regulation includes flights to and from Canada. Qantas provided a letter stating it was a delay due to the late arrival of an inbound aircraft (I only got this at YVR check in when I arrived and requested it - Qantas is meant to provide all passengers with a reason for the delay and how to access compensation). Will be interesting to see QF’s response to the compensation request.