Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[RSD]

This and the QF7 delay are caused by the spare 787 that would normally arrive from HNL the night prior being on duty as a repatriation flight from LCA.

But didn't the last QF repatriation flight land about 24 hours ago? Or is there more now?

 

[Flyerqf]

But didn't the last QF repatriation flight land about 24 hours ago? Or is there more now?

Currently enroute back to LCA got a second repatriation flight. VH-ZNC.

 

[Flyerqf]

VH-EBK is the youngest QF A332, entering service on 9 September 2015, so has not long had its ninth birthday.

The oldest, VH-EBG commenced operations on 14 December 2007, so it's almost 17 years old.

The 'airfleets' site has details of each aircraft.

I think you will find that EBA is the oldest and EBV is the youngest. The reason why dates may look different on airfleets is because the A332 fleet has moved around between Qantas and Jetstar.

 

[RSD]

Currently enroute back to LCA got a second repatriation flight. VH-ZNC.

Ah OK - cheers! I thought there were two flights, one landed in Sydney a couple of days ago and then one last evening in Brisbane. I guess there is demand for more - not many probably want to leave but are starting to realise that they have to.

 

[Melburnian1]

This and the QF7 delay are caused by the spare 787 that would normally arrive from HNL the night prior being on duty as a repatriation flight from LCA.

QFi no doubt is handsomely paid for these 'repatriation' flights.

However, those people in Lebanon need to show some personal responsibility and not expect to be spoon fed by taxpayers. How many have entered that nation knowing it was likely to be a war zone fairly soon given the geopolitical situation?

QFi should have said to the Federal government 'best you approach charter operators such as Hi Fly/Wamos Air etc. to provide an aircraft.' QFi has no spare planes and can't be cancelling or heavily delaying scheduled flights.

 

[Flyerqf]

QFi no doubt is handsomely paid for these 'repatriation' flights.

However, those people in Lebanon need to show some personal responsibility and not expect to be spoon fed by taxpayers. How many have entered that nation knowing it was likely to be a war zone fairly soon given the geopolitical situation?

QFi should have said to the Federal government 'best you approach charter operators such as Hi Fly/Wamos Air etc. to provide an aircraft.' QFi has no spare planes and can't be cancelling or heavily delaying scheduled flights.

QF said they were operating the repatriation flights at no cost to either passengers or the government.

 

[Tiki]

I am really stressing over next week's QF 27 which is a 789 in light of all these delays. The BLR one sounds like a nightmare and QF doesn't seem to have enough 787's to service all the scheduled flights and the repatriation flights. i wish they would just let QR or some other airline with more planes on hand do these.

 

[jb747]

To make an obvious comment, it depends at what time the crew signed on.

For flight deck staff, apparently they can work up to 18 hours (and if I recall correctly what @jb747 once said, they can mutually agree with the operations centre to extend to 22 hours.) On a SYD to BLR trip, you'd hope neither would be 'attained'.

Given the fluidity of this flight, it's indeed possible that a 'reserve crew' for both the flight deck and the cabin(s) have been brought in. I am assuming QFi still has these.

Flight crew limitations can be quite difficult to calculate. In the case of a 3 man crew, rostered to Bangalore (and I’m so glad I never had to fly there), you’d be looking at a planned duty period (not flight time) of 14 hours, extendable to 16. To get to 20 hours you need a 4 man crew. I have no idea how the ULR flights are done…and I have no intention of getting on one, as I expect the crew are little better than zombies at the far end.

According to a few frustrated pax on twitter it’s one tech issue after another

Which is just as likely the same issue, but the as the engineers work through “fixes” they’re finding the easiest ones don’t work.

Management was paid a lot of money to set up this mess, and they (he) did his work well.

 

[Melburnian1]

On its second repatriation flight from LCA to SYD (ASY1270 being the unusual flight number), B789 VH_ZNC is timetabled to arrive SYD at the odd time of 2006 hours on Thursday 10 October but looks like achieving this at 2243 hours tonight, 157 minutes behind schedule.

 

[RSD]

I have no idea how the ULR flights are done…and I have no intention of getting on one, as I expect the crew are little better than zombies at the far end.

I'm in the same club - for the reasons you mentioned and because my butt would get damn sore after being on it for that long!

Management was paid a lot of money to set up this mess, and they (he) did his work well.

He certainly has left a huge mess that is going to take years to sort out! I'm not sure that they got value for money from him - but he obviously thought he was worth every cent!

 

[Melburnian1]

In more on Thursday 10 October, QF157 (B738 VH-XZO, the scheduled 1830 hours MEL-AKL that pointed skywards at 1924 should arrive at 0036 on Friday 11, 31 minutes late.

Given the huge delay to QF67 yesterday, it's no surprise that QF68 (A332 VH-EBR) is likely to arrive SYD (ex BLR) at 2206 hours late this evening, 686 minutes later than its scheduled arrival of 1040 hours. Missed connections will be a feature.

 

[ABC1]

On its second repatriation flight from LCA to SYD (ASY1270 being the unusual flight number), B789 VH_ZNC is timetabled to arrive SYD at the odd time of 2006 hours on Thursday 10 October but looks like achieving this at 2243 hours tonight, 157 minutes behind schedule.

ASY is the Australian Government name

 

[Melburnian1]

QF67, the 0905 hours SYD-BLR is again delayed on Friday 11 October as A332 VH-EBS arrived three minutes late at 0758 hours on QF82, the overnight ex SIN. Unusually, it is forming 'the 67' with departure expected at 1000, a fast turnaround if achieved.

 

[Melburnian1]

In more on 11 October, QF34 (B789 VH-ZNL) from CDG to PER is estimated to arrive at 0945, 50 minutes late. The second sector across to SYD is a timetabled 1025 hours departure that may occur at about 1115. After a later arrival in Sydney than the scheduled 1730 hours, the aircraft is being requisitioned to form the 1650 hours SYD-DFW QF7 that has a pushback forecast at 1940 hours relatively early this evening.

It is not normal for a 1730 hours arrival to form a 1650 hours departure, so once more, QFi must be short of a B789.

 

[kpc]

Qf 127 Syd-Hkg is scheduled to depart at 1115. It is now 1052 and still waiting to board! Let's see what time we really depart.

Why can't Qf flights leave on time!?...rhetorical Q

Edit: New Expected Departure Time is 1130!

Edit 2: ok 1115 boarded and seated...

EDIT 3: OK pushback at 1136 so only 21 min delay in end

 

[tomlee1986]

Qf 127 Syd-Hkg is scheduled to depart at 1115. It is now 1052 and still waiting to board! Let's see what time we really depart.

Why can't Qf flights leave on time!?...rhetorocal Q

Edit: New Expected Departure Time is 1130!

QF 127 or QF 29 from MEL HKG are NOT reliable these days… you maybe lucky to have a delay of less than 1 hour…

 

[FlyingKangaroo]

QF 922 SYD-CNS delayed an hour today.

Of note: I’m on the flight, and found it rather odd that the pilot blamed the inbound arrival being late for the delay, as that flight actually arrived 3 minutes early from Jakarta. Rather, I suspect scheduling a two-hour turn for a wide-body aircraft that also requires towing from international to domestic is simply unrealistic.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF 922 SYD-CNS delayed an hour today.

Of note: I’m on the flight, and found it rather odd that the pilot blamed the inbound arrival being late for the delay, as that flight actually arrived 3 minutes early from Jakarta. Rather, I suspect scheduling a two-hour turn for a wide-body aircraft that also requires towing from international to domestic is simply unrealistic.

We all accept to make money, airlines need to not have their planes sitting idle for long periods if that can be avoided.

However you've hit upon a cause of many delays: QFi to QFd transfers of aircraft, or the reverse.

When one considers aircraft have to have passengers from the previous flight alight, catering, baggage, freight and mail unloaded, then the aircraft is towed to the other terminal and loading occurs, plus refuelling and necessary external checks by flight deck staff and their flight planning calculations as well as a rudimentary cleaning of the cabins, it's hard to imagine this takes less than three hours.

Yet QF sometimes only allows two or two and a half hours for this, so even if the inbound (say) domestic flight is punctual, the international flight it forms will never depart as scheduled.

For a atart, having say 230 passengers alighting takes if I'm not mistaken about 15 minutes. The cleaning crew cannot board until everyone is off the aircraft. Nor can the catering truck and staff immediately attend to the aircraft. The boarding process takes a similar time, perhaps longer if there are special needs passengers who may arrive on the aerobridge in wheelchair(s).

Once again, this airline is trying to do too much with its finite supply of aircraft.

 

[Melburnian1]

Updating post #16294, QF34 from CDG arrived PER on Friday 11 October at 0949 hours, 54 minutes late with B789 VH-ZNL. The second sector to SYD is the 1025 hours that took off at 1206 hours. Estimated SYD at gate arrival becomes 1845 hours, 75 minutes behind the timetable.

The expected departure for QF7 (1650 hours SYD-LAX) that this plane is forming has been further put back from 1940 to a still slightly unrealistic 2015 hours.

Today's QF8 from LAX back to SYD is expected to depart at 2215 hours local Californian time, an hour late due to the delayed inbound QF7.

 

[Melburnian1]

The expected delay to QF7 on Friday 11 October from SYD to LAX has increased, with a forecast pushback at 2115 mid evening rather than the previously advised initial 1940 and then amended 2015 hours.

UPDATE: It departed SYD at 2109 hours and took off at 2124 hours with B789 VH-ZNL. Same day arrival is expected at 2002 hours, 237 minutes late.

This will mean a delayed departure for Friday 11's QF8, the timetabled 2115 hours mid evening DFW down to SYD.

Separately, QF103 (A333 VH-QPG, the 2025 hours SYD-HNL) took off at 2132 hours. Was it waiting for delayed domestic 'connectees'?
'The 103' should arrive at its HNL gate about 0932 hours, 52 minutes late.