Virgin Australia Delays/Cancellations

VA99 MELB-Christchurch, we were on the runway, heading out, and returned to gate for "engineering issue" that "needs to be reset".

Full flight sitting on plane and they're revving the engines.
 
VA99 MELB-Christchurch, we were on the runway, heading out, and returned to gate for "engineering issue" that "needs to be reset".

Full flight sitting on plane and they're revving the engines.

actually adding thrust? Or engaging reverse thrust? If you’ve got a window seat and can see the sleeve deployed. I’ve had that problem before taxiing out and we had to engage the reverse thrust 6-8 times to clear the fault message.
 
actually adding thrust? Or engaging reverse thrust? If you’ve got a window seat and can see the sleeve deployed. I’ve had that problem before taxiing out and we had to engage the reverse thrust 6-8 times to clear the fault message.
Like a diesel ute filter burn off 🤣

Wouldn't know what sort of thrust it was but overall it was a 1hr delay so happy we got here. Staff didn't seem stressed so that made the full flight pax relax.

Edit. Do they use different thingies to block the wheels as it was the longer/yellow ones and not the shorter orange ones.
 
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Like a diesel ute filter burn off 🤣

Wouldn't know what sort of thrust it was but overall it was a 1hr delay so happy we got here. Staff didn't seem stressed so that made the full flight pax relax.

Edit. Do they use different thingies to block the wheels as it was the longer/yellow ones and not the shorter orange ones.

Haha if you’re talking about the wheel chocks? Then yes they do use the longer yellow ones on the both the nose wheel and main wheels, but if you had engines running, I’d be surprised if they still had the aircraft chocked with pax on board!
 
Wednesday 1 January 2020 finds VA679 MEL-PER (A332 VH-XFE) with a revised arrival at 11 51, 81 min tardy. This has pushed back departure of the return leg VA686 which is now suggested at 13 24.
 
VA742 is the Friday 10 January 2020 scheduled 1400 hours OOL down to MEL (B738 VH-0VUU) that took off at 1449, so estimated arrival has become 1752, 32 behind.
 
Bushfire smoke haze was noticeable at MEL when I was there earlier on Wednesday 15 January: clearly the airport and surrounds such as Broadmeadows are worse affected than the inner and outer southern suburbs, but by about 1115 the situation had worsened, so MEL closed one runway, the east-west I gather.

Cancellations include VA269, the 1235 hours MEL up to CBR B738.

Expect more flights to get the flick while delays for those that operate will affect many other aircraft even if they've not been today in MEL, due to connecting passengers and crew rosters, plus unpunctual MEL flights into and out of other airports, missing slots where these exist.

VA841, the 1200 'high noon' MEL up to SYD (B738 VH-VUT) was about fourth in line as at 1250 for ATC takeoff clearance, so it will be at least 40 minutes late arriving in the mainland harbour city.

The 1400 hours VA331 (MEL - BNE) is suggested as pushing back 50 late.
 
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With thunderstorm activity adding to MEL Wednesday 15 January 2020 woes, VA749, the 1550 hours afternoon MEL - OOL did not take off until 1854 so B738 VH-VUU is more than 150 minutes late.

VA96 from CHC to MEL, the 1550 hours that took off a little early at 1604 hours has B738 VH-YIU and may have had a missed approach at MEL as it has diverted to CBR, arrival at latter looking like 1913 hours compared ith scheduled MEL arrival of 1740.

VA859, the 1600 hours MEL - SYD was in the sky at 1743 (about 90 late) with B738 VH_VFY and has a most unusual routing, to avoid thunderstorms, proceeding south into Bass Strait and then not turning north until southeast of King Island, rejoining the mainland at Paynesville, so estimated arrival is about 1936 hours, 131 late.
 
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VA319 on Thursday 16 January, the 0900 hours MEL up to BNE was cancelled.

B738 VH-YIV on VA163, the 1030 hours SYD across to ZQN was at 1126 hours still taxiing in SYD, so will be at least 45 minutes late while the earlier scheduled 1000 hours SYD to AKL VA141 (VH-YIH) was further behind, so will be even more tardy.
 
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VA2 (B773ER VH-VPD), the Sunday 14 January 2020 scheduled 2315 hours LAX - SYD took off punctually at 2336 but diverted to BNE, where it spent until 0933, arriving SYD at about 1202 hours, 172 minutes behind schedule.

As a result VA1, the 1125 hours SYD - LAX is estimated to push back at 1355 hours.
 
With severe looking rainfall around Sydney, delays are continuing on Thursday 16 January with VA232, the 1605 hours afternoon ADL - MEL not taking off until 1745. Arrival for B738 VH-BZG should be 82 minutes tardy at 1917 hours.
 
Another unimpressive evening if travellers want to be on time on Thursday 16 January, largely due to SYD storms, with VA287 (B738 VH-VUF, the 1845 hours MEL - CBR) taking off at 2134 for projected at gate arrival of 2225 hours, 155 minutes behind schedule.
 
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I think yesterday's (Wednesday) record was VA691, which departed at 23:20 in lieu of a scheduled 17:35, arriving 00:07+1 instead of 18:50.
 
I think yesterday's (Wednesday) record was VA691, which departed at 23:20 in lieu of a scheduled 17:35, arriving 00:07+1 instead of 18:50.

To add to that in case schedules change and your input is viewed in six months' time, VA691 was a MEL to PER offering. Like all of us I cannot monitor delays 24 hours a day, but from observation briefly yesterday I was unable to beat your 'recorded record.'
 
On an extremely rainy Friday 17 January 2020 in Sydney, VA412, the 0840 hours morning SYD across to ADL (B738 VH-YFY) took off at 1000 hours so estimated at gate arrival has become 59 minutes late at 1119 hours.
 
Later on 17 january 2020, the OOL down to SYD VA518 (the 1105 hours airborne at 1203, about 45 late) is arriving into what may be a slightly less rainy SYD at 1412 hours, 37 late with B738 VH-VUQ.
 
Some aircraft on approach to SYD are holding with VA526, the 1405 hours Friday 17 January ex OOL airborne at 1506 an example. Arrival should be at 1718 hours, 43 late.

VA854 (1530 hours SYD - MEL, B738 VH-YFH) was in the sky at 1645, so at gate arrival looks like 1803 in teh early evening, 58 minutes behind the timetable.
 
Saturday 18 January 2020 sees VA269, the short distance 1215 hours MEL - CBR taking off at 1251 hours with B738 VH-VHG. Expected arrival is 1402, 42 late.
 
VA1040, the 18 January 1405 hours afternoon MCY down to MEL (B738 VH-VOO) was in teh sky at 1459 so arrival looks to be 35 minutes tardy at 1805 hours.
 
On Sunday 19 January 2020, VA738 (B738 VH-YFU, the 1200 'high noon' OOL - MEL airborne at 1239) should arrive at 1551 hours, 31 late.
 

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