QantasLink to replace Q200/Q300s with mid-life Q400s

[dylarr]

In saying this (and maybe slightly off topic!) I'm curious if anyone knows at what point an airport needs screening facilities? I thought it was when planes over a certain capacity started serving the airport, so if they're needed for the Q400 the airport better get onto it - we don't have screening here at MGB!

If the airport has in excess of 30,000 annual departing pax then they need to screen flights on aircraft with 40 or more seats.

It used to be required for flights on aircraft over 20,000kg MTOW (which would impact the Q400), but was changed to annual departing pax instead.

 

[RSD]

If the airport has in excess of 30,000 annual departing pax then they need to screen flights on aircraft with 40 or more seats.

It used to be required for flights on aircraft over 20,000kg MTOW (which would impact the Q400), but was changed to annual departing pax instead.

Might mean that we get screening at BWT - instead of having to bus from the plane to the front of the terminal in Melbourne!

 

[servicerequired]

Might mean that we get screening at BWT - instead of having to bus from the plane to the front of the terminal in Melbourne!

How does the bus work for QF? Bus from airside, and where does it park up / disembark passengers on the QF side?

I remember years ago prior to screening at MQL - and prior to the shed extension at T1 in MEL, there was screening airside for arriving passengers from MQL (and I presume other Southern Australia Airlines destinations).

Just on the topic of the QantasLink shed that is tacked onto the end of T1 - that was initially constructed for Jetstar, correct? When JQ flights were initially based out of T1?

 

[RSD]

How does the bus work for QF? Bus from airside, and where does it park up / disembark passengers on the QF side?

I remember years ago prior to screening at MQL - and prior to the shed extension at T1 in MEL, there was screening airside for arriving passengers from MQL (and I presume other Southern Australia Airlines destinations).

Bus picks you up airside then out a gate, turns right across the back of the multi-storey carpark, then right then right again and drops you about two lanes out from the front of the international terminal.

I do remember that screening - no idea why they did away with it.

 

[servicerequired]

Bus picks you up airside then out a gate, turns right across the back of the multi-storey carpark, then right then right again and drops you about two lanes out from the front of the international terminal.

I do remember that screening - no idea why they did away with it.

Urgh, thats a bit cough ... so you're dropped off basically outside of the Parkroyal in the normal bus zone?

Obviously then trek back inside to the terminal to collect any checked baggage ... (??)

I guess on the + side, at least your bags should be circling the carousel by the time you make it back into the terminal ... a bit like Rex down in T4 ... but kind of an ad-hoc solution.

Hopefully they come up with something improved throughout the current T1 renovations ...

 

[RSD]

Urgh, thats a bit cough ... so you're dropped off basically outside of the Parkroyal in the normal bus zone?

Obviously then trek back inside to the terminal to collect any checked baggage ... (??)

I guess on the + side, at least your bags should be circling the carousel by the time you make it back into the terminal ... a bit like Rex down in T4 ... but kind of an ad-hoc solution.

Hopefully they come up with something improved throughout the current T1 renovations ...

Its... fantastic... when it is bucketing down rain - not!

 

[Mwenenzi]

AFF article QantasLink Receives First of 14 Dash 8 Q400s from WestJet

The Dash 8 Q400 has a lower per-seat operating cost than the smaller variants. The Q400s are also younger, meaning they require less maintenance and will be able to continue flying further into the future.

QantasLink already had 31 Q400s in its fleet, with an average age of 15 years. WestJet’s average Q400 fleet age is less than nine years, and will replace 200 and Q300 series Dash 8s with an average age of 23 years.

Maintenance no so much age based, but on hours and cycles (take off / landings). QF will know the operating history of these Q400's. The amount of hours and cycles left before not economical to keep in the air will be know. But as aircraft (and cars and human beings) age more things can fail.

 

[Av8or55]

Any airlines that run them with 4 additional seats than Qantas?

Jazz operates 78 seat Q400’s. We had a small number of 74 seat Q’s but those have been decommissioned from Jazz.