Virgin Australia Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

On Thursday 18 August, VA1 (0950 hours SYD - LAX) is expected to instead depart at 1100. Google is showing an arrival at 0815 rather than the usual 0630 which would indicate a longer than timetabled gate-to-gate trip, perhaps due to 1100 being pretty busy with international departures sometimes queued. Time will tell.

 

[Melburnian1]

Also on Thursday 18, VA888, the 2000 hours SYD - MEL was in the sky at 2046. Hence B738 VH-VUC should arrive at around 2208 tonight, 33 minute slate, not helped by the north wind in MEL meaning that the aircraft has to approach the airfield from the south.

 

[Melburnian1]

The Monday 22 August arriving VA8 into SYD should be at the gate at around 0730 (40 minutes late) after its long trip from LAX.

 

[Pleb Status]

Whilst wandering aimlessly tonight through the VA terminal PER T1, I notice that my normal flight from BNE VA468 is running about three hours late with an arrival time of 00:30+1.

 

[Melburnian1]

Is VA9014 an empty working that although it most recently originated in SFO previously commenced its journey from AAR Corporation's Lake Charles plant where aircraft are refurbished into the new J and W configuration?

The flight was meant to depart SFO at 2355 hours on Saturday 20 but did so at 0049 on Sunday 21. Arrival will be at about 0755 on Monday 22 August in SYD instead of 0730: B773ER Vh-VPD is the aircraft.

 

[serfty]

VA2 for Aug 20 was cancelled late last month.

 

[Melburnian1]

Thank you serfty.

Due to the fog in PER on Monday 22 August's morning that judging by departures must have cleared around 1000 WST, VA1722, the F100 (VH-FSW) running the 0840 hours KTA down to PER took off at 0953. Arrival should be at around 1213, 88 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

The Sunday 21 August 2016 VA2 from LAX (B773ER VH-VPH) should arrive SYD on Tuesday 23 at about 0650, half an hour late as it departed at 2308 not the scheduled 2235.

 

[serfty]

The Sunday 20 August 2016 VA2 from LAX (B773ER VH-VPH) should arrive SYD on Tuesday 22 at about 0650, half an hour late as it departed at 2308 not the scheduled 2235.

Maybe Sunday 21 August ...

 

[Melburnian1]

Maybe Sunday 21 August ...

Indeed. That has been corrected, as has the Tuesday day-date. Apologies, serfty.

 

[torks]

Is VA9014 an empty working that although it most recently originated in SFO previously commenced its journey from AAR Corporation's Lake Charles plant where aircraft are refurbished into the new J and W configuration?

The flight was meant to depart SFO at 2355 hours on Saturday 20 but did so at 0049 on Sunday 21. Arrival will be at about 0755 on Monday 22 August in SYD instead of 0730: B773ER Vh-VPD is the aircraft.

I think this was a charter for the University of California's College Football team. There playing Hawaii in Sydney on Saturday.

VA1 is not operating on Sunday as it is taking the team back to San Francisco.

 

[Denali]

VA107 Wellington to Brisbane was reversing out from the gate for a 3.10pm departure when a pax had a type of seizure, taken back to the gate, met by three emergency trucks/ambulance. Paramedics boarded and pax offloaded but he walked out so hopefully he's ok.

My Dr Google degree makes me wonder if whatever happened to him was contributed by a heavy night and dehydrated due to wallabies game the night before.

We were delayed about an hour but arrived approx 20min late

 

[CJEMNMAC]

Sitting on VA8 right now and it is 1.18am at LAX

Got towed back to gate for engineer to review at about 12.20am.

Push back in the next 5 mins.

EDIT : out to runway now at 1.38am

 

[Viridianne]

9pm to Mel delayed to 10pm

 

[Bolthead]

VA444 2010 SYD - ADL cancelled due to storm activity in Adelaide...

 

[QF WP]

Melburnian1, you seem to have gone MIA, or has your VA flght been cancelled or is really delayed

 

[Melburnian1]

Thank you QF WP for your concern, but you put far more of your time into fora such as this given your moderator status.

On Friday 7 October 2016, VA713, the 0630 hours early morning from ADL to PER took off at 0817 and hence should arrive at about 0855, 85 minutes late. B738 VH-YFH is the aircraft making its way across the Bight.

 

[Melburnian1]

Later on the evening of Friday 7 October there has been a 'technical problem' at MEL - don't we just love euphemisms - with 'doors' tonight (Friday 7 October) - by which the media or Melbourne Airport may mean 'aerobridges unable to be moved' (with one tweeter asserting that VA, for one did not know the manual override code).

Some passengers may have been stuck on board planes, unable to alight.

VA seems to have been worst affected of the four major domestic airlines, possibly because the fault affected the Melbourne Airport owned terminals rather than the terminal that QF owns.

VA897, the 2100 hours from MEL to SYD took off at 2143 with arrival suggested as 2245, 20 minutes late (E190 VH-ZPC).

The earlier scheduled 2000 hours departure on the same busy route, VA891, took off at a rather delayed 2146 and should be at its SYD gate at roughly 2251, 86 minutes late in the hands of B738 VH-VUK.

The 2100 hours from MEL up to BNE, VA357 took off at 2214 with arrival forecast for 2255, 45 minutes late; plane is B738 VH-YFF.

VA888, the 2000 hours from SYD down to MEL took off at 2118 with arrival of B738 VH-YIA suggested as 2147 in lieu of 2135 hours, so in other words it is expected to be at the gate 77 minutes late. Whether this flight was held in SYD until there was some chance of a solution being found for this 'technical problem' would be interesting to ascertain.

VA246 (2035 hours from ADL across to MEL) took off at 2125 and should arrive at roughly 2309 hours, 44 minutes tardy.

Medium haul VA697 (timetabled as a 2045 hours departure from MEL across to PER) took off at 2211 tonight so A332 VH-XFD is about 75 minutes late.

One might imagine emails flying back and forth between VA's legal eagles and the same staff or contractors at Melbourne Airport.

 

[Quickstatus]

Va is advising passengers that operations out of MEL tomorrow will likely be affected by forecasted strong winds

Forecast by BOM for MEL Sunday 9 october:
Partly cloudy. Slight (30%) chance of a shower during the early morning, clearing by the afternoon then a high (80%) chance of showers in the late afternoon and evening. Winds northeasterly 15 to 25 km/h tending northerly and increasing to 40 to 60 km/h during the morning and locally reaching 70 km/h at times in the afternoon. Winds shifting cooler westerly during the evening and easing to 30 to 40 km/h.


http://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/victoria-weather-damage-expected-from-significant-wind-event-set-to-hit-the-state/525198

 

[Melburnian1]

As Quickstatus reminded us, today is windy in MEL, with the Sunday 9 October VA830 (1000 SYD down to MEL) having been airborne at 1029 but not expected to arrive until 1216 or so, which would be 41 minutes late.

It looks to have initially had a missed approach. Winds as gusty, as the BOM predicted.

VA730, the 0810 hours from OOL to MEL that took off at 0833 AEST is also in a holding pattern to Melbourne Airport's south. It was timetabled to arrive at 1135 so will be at least 45 minutes late if not diverted.

VA1321 from HBA to MEL is similarly in a 'hold': this aircraft, due at MEL at 1145, is B737 VH-VBY.

By 1220 hours, the winds appear to have abated such that landings and takeoffs have resumed.

VA318, the 0855 hours from BNE down to MEL (B738 VH-VUO) is expected at 1309, 49 minutes late, as at 1232 it was in a holding pattern above Tocumwal, NSW.

Although the much larger number of nonstop flights to smaller destinations compared to 20 years ago helps to reduce the number of pesky connecting passengers, these MEL wind-related delays will to a fair extent ripple through the national network of the two major air carriers.