Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[ABC1]

6/7 operable QFA380s with two QF2s… OQG the one not showing as it’s at LHR.

 

[tomlee1986]

6/7 operable QFA380s with two QF2s… OQG the one not showing as it’s at LHR. View attachment 408308

Pls dont forget 1 is a delayed QF2D because of the earlier medical delay couple of days ago, the other is the normal QF 2 from last night... and that one should depart a few hrs later from Singapore to Sydney arriving tomorrow morning

 

[flydoc]

QF746, this evenings scheduled ADL-SYD has been cancelled, with the operating aircraft B738 VH-VYF now ferrying to AYQ as QF6121, then to form a delayed QF729 AYQ-SYD. It is subbing in for B738 VH-VXD which appears to be grounded at AYQ after operating QF728, possibly with a recurrent fault after earlier diverting to ASP.

 

[Melburnian1]

As discussed in post #16080, B789 VH-ZNI rushed across from PER to SYD this evening.

It formed QF103, the 2025 hours SYD-HNL airborne at 2115 hours with gate arrival (same day) likely at about 1021 hours, 31 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Tuesday 24 September 2024 has seen QF35, the 1200 'high noon' MEL-SIN (A332 VH-EBK) take off at 1258 hours. Arrival at gate should be about 1845, half an hour behind schedule.

 

[ABC1]

VH-ZNC was down to do the QF21 today but the flight was cancelled

 

[Melburnian1]

As noted above, B789 VH-ZNC that's been inoperable for more than a month flew recently empty from PER across to MEL.

FR24 shows it as rostered to operate QF21, the Tuesday 24 September 1300 hours lunchtime MEL up and across to DFW that was cancelled.

24's QF22 (the 2040 hours DFW-MEL) is displaying as instead likely to depart at 2320 hours. QF8 from DFW to SYD is showing as 'normal': these eastbounds are unbalanced, so FR24 may not have caught up with the change to QF21.

QF's flight status confirms that QF21 and QF22 are cancelled, so FR24 is incorrect re 'the 22'.

Does VH-ZNC need further repairs or maintenance?

 

[Melburnian1]

Also on Tuesday 24, B789 VH-ZNG on the 1025 hours midmorning CDG down to PER did not take off until 1136 hours. Wednesday 25 arrival looks like 1000 hours, 65 minutes tardy.

A388 VH-OQG as QF2 from LHR to SIN arrived at 1820 hours, 55 minutes behind schedule.

 

[nancypants]

QF746, this evenings scheduled ADL-SYD has been cancelled, with the operating aircraft B738 VH-VYF now ferrying to AYQ as QF6121, then to form a delayed QF729 AYQ-SYD. It is subbing in for B738 VH-VXD which appears to be grounded at AYQ after operating QF728, possibly with a recurrent fault after earlier diverting to ASP.

My understanding is this diverted for weather at AYQ, diversion plan initially was to ISA (which appeared to be due to weather at ASP) but then went to Alice instead
Planned for a splash and dash from Alice but was actually on the ground for closer to 3 hours. Uncertain if something has cropped up since then. I assumed it was cancelled because the crew timed out (would it usually be an out and back by the same crew?) which wouldn’t account for the replacement flight?

 

[Melburnian1]

A333 VH-QPH on the unattractively timed for departure 0640 hours HND down to SYD, QF26, took off at 0817 so gate arrival is expected an hour late at 1830 in the early evening.

B789 VH-ZNK took off today on the 0910 hours SYD-AKL-JFK at 1219 hours so AKL at gate arrival should be 1646 hours, 161 minutes behind schedule. Highly likely that QF4 from JFK will be delayed even into Sydney despite padding in the schedules both ways.

B789 VH-ZNC still hasn't operated a revenue flight and appears to be stabled in Melbourne.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Wednesday 25 September, B789 VH-ZNL flew empty as an 0935 hours SYD-MEL that took off at 1054, arriving at gate at 1223 hours, 73 minutes behind the issued timetable.

It has formed the 1155 hours MEL-LAX QF93 that was airborne at 1404 after quite a quick turnaround. Same day gate arrival should be about 1047 hours, 97 minutes late.

Given major maintenance/ hangars are in Sydney, there'll always be occasional ferrying of long distance planes but the continued inability of B789 VH-ZNC to return to passenger duties is resulting in more empty positioning flights than normal.

 

[Melburnian1]

B789 VH-ZNF on the 24 September 2150 hours QF94 from LAX down to MEL is expected to depart 100 minutes late at 2330 hours. As I write, it's 2347 hours in LAX.

 

[Melburnian1]

Updating QF3 above, on Wednesday 25 September, it took off from AKL at 1903 hours. B789 VH-ZNK should arrive JFK at 1822 hours, 122 minutes late. If this is reality, it will have had a net gain of 39 minutes since arriving in AKL.

The return flight, QF4 at a scheduled 1920 hours is showing as a 1950 hours pushback, which may be achievable but is probably tight given the numerous tasks to turn around the plane, plus the presence of plenty other 'traffic'.

 

[Rangalad]

Updating QF3 above, on Wednesday 25 September, it took off from AKL at 1903 hours. B789 VH-ZNK should arrive JFK at 1822 hours, 122 minutes late. If this is reality, it will have had a net gain of 39 minutes since arriving in AKL.

The return flight, QF4 at a scheduled 1920 hours is showing as a 1950 hours pushback, which may be achievable but is probably tight given the numerous tasks to turn around the plane, plus the presence of plenty other 'traffic'.

QF94 - tech stop AKL

 

[Melburnian1]

B789 VH-ZNF on QF94, the 2150 hours Tuesday 24 LAX-MEL took off very late at 0050 hours on Wednesday 25.

It is to divert to AKL with an estimated arrival time of 0714 on Thursday 26 September (0514 AEST). I don't know if this is a technical stop to refuel (winds?), medical incident or something else.

QFi's flight status optimistically suggests the aircraft will have only a brief stop in AKL and depart at 0800 hours with MEL gate arrival 1005 AEST.

IIRC, @jb747 more than a year ago wrote a most interesting piece on how suitable diversionary airports are limited between Australia and the USA.

This diversion will almost guarantee the Thursday QF93 (using gate 10 like the arrival) will be late away from MEL, as timetable states '1155 hours'. QF93 is an A388 three days per week but on the other four, including tomorrow, it's the 'half seating capacity' B789.

The B789 QFi fleet can't take a trick at present: much late running, with ZNC still marooned in Melbourne, too sick it would seem to reenter revenue service.

 

[RSD]

B789 VH-ZNF on QF94, the 2150 hours Tuesday 24 LAX-MEL took off very late at 0050 hours on Wednesday 25.

It is to divert to AKL with an estimated arrival time of 0714 on Thursday 26 September (0514 AEST). I don't know if this is a technical stop to refuel (winds?), medical incident or something else.

QFi's flight status optimistically suggests the aircraft will have only a brief stop in AKL and depart at 0800 hours with MEL gate arrival 1005 AEST.

IIRC, @jb747 more than a year ago wrote a most interesting piece on how suitable diversionary airports are limited between Australia and the USA.

This diversion will almost guarantee the Thursday QF93 (using gate 10 like the arrival) will be late away from MEL, as timetable states '1155 hours'. QF93 is an A388 three days per week but on the other four, including tomorrow, it's the 'half seating capacity' B789.

The B789 QFi fleet can't take a trick at present: much late running, with ZNC still marooned in Melbourne, too sick it would seem to reenter revenue service.

QF94 diverting to AKL for a brief stop seems a little odd - will be interesting to see what the story is with that.

 

[exLXCXFF]

Nothing unusual on the radar weatherwise
tomorrow morning, such as fog, that may warrant to hold the flight in AKL.

 

[Melburnian1]

As opined above, the forecast of QF94 (B789 VH-ZNF) departing AKL at '0800 hours' turned out to be way off the mark, with takeoff at 0943. MEL arrival should be 1048 hours, 243 minutes behind schedule.

Assuming ZNF still forms QF93 today, the FR24 prediction of a 1210 hours pushback, only 15 minutes late, is again optimistic. 1230 or later is my guess.

Still 'no movement at the station' for VH-ZNC that is fast approaching being out of service for six weeks.

Sister VH-ZNK arrived JFK as QF3 at 1820 hours on Wednesday 25 September. QF4, normally the 1920 hours back to AKL and SYD, is put back to an estimated 2015 ex 'The Big Apple'.

Wednesday 25's QF25 (A333 VH-QPH), the 2025 hours from SYFD up to HND was airborne at 2203, arriving Japan at 0636 hours this morning, 71 minutes behind schedule.

 

[ABC1]

QF94 diverting to AKL for a brief stop seems a little odd - will be interesting to see what the story is with that.

Good chance has something to do with this:

Qantas engineers to walk off the job at Melbourne Airport​

By Josefine Ganko​

More than 1000 Qantas engineers will walk off the job today, with unionised staff at Melbourne Airport participating in a four-hour work stoppage.
It’s the first move in two weeks of planned industrial action across the country, as the Qantas Engineers’ Alliance call for a pay rise.
The Alliance covers a network of engineers represented by the Australian Workers Union, Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and the Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union of Australia.

 

[jb747]

QF94 diverting to AKL for a brief stop seems a little odd - will be interesting to see what the story is with that.

If you back up to when it became planned to divert to Auckland, you might get some clues. The weather at Melbourne didn't look too bad. Sydney wasn't wonderful, but shouldn't need to be part of the equation. In any event, for a weather issue, on such a long flight, they probably wouldn't worry about it until much later in the event ('cos you can always go to Auckland, if not Sydney).

If the diversion was planned before departure, either at the original stage or after the delays, then it's a different story. My guess though, would be that the delay in LA has caused them to run out of hours.

The clock would have started one hour before the planned departure time, so by the time they pushed back, it would have already been up to 3:43 duty time. When they landed in Auckland, it was at 17:16. If they'd continued it would have been a duty period of about another 5-6 hours (turnaround, flight time, shutdown), so around a total of 22-23 hours. I'm not current with the flight time limitations, but that would well beyond what is allowed.

The issue then becomes one of getting another crew. The earlier that decision was made, then the more likely they'd have been able to get someone over to Auckland in time. I once did exactly that for a A380 that had to divert, though they departed LAX one crew member down, so there was more time for the decision to be made about positioning another flight crew.