Virgin Australia Delays/Cancellations

[serfty]

 VA flight 965 on 15/01/17
Flight: VA 965
Status: Canceled
Reliability: 79% / 16m

Depart: SYD
Terminal: 2
Gate: 39
Scheduled: 15/01/17 5:00 PM
Estimated: 15/01/17 5:00 PM

Arrive: BNE
Terminal: D
Gate: 44B
Baggage: V02
Scheduled: 15/01/17 5:30 PM
Estimated: 15/01/17 5:30 PM

SYD Wait Times | SYD Delays | BNE Delays Comments:

SYD 500P D 39
BNE D GATE 530P
1FX CANX DUE F/O FATIGUE ON SYSNAN RETURN. *1634

 

[Melburnian1]

serfty, can you please decipher the last line?

Is it something about a first officer (flight crew) having had insufficient rest time ex Fiji to operate this SYD - BNE domestic flight?

 

[JohnK]

Crew fatigue? Wow!

 

[Melburnian1]

Also on Sunday 15 January, VA867 (1700 hours MEL - SYD, B738 VH-VOK) was airborne at 1834. Arrival should be at 1945 tonight, 80 minutes late.

VA182 from NAN to SYD (B738 VH-YIB) should arrive at 2140 instead of 2020.

VH-VUG on the 1930 hours SYD - MEL (B738) took off at about 2120 so arrival should be at around the 2238 mark, 93 minutes tardy.

 

[docjames]

 VA flight 965 on 15/01/17
Flight: VA 965
Status: Canceled
Reliability: 79% / 16m

Depart: SYD
Terminal: 2
Gate: 39
Scheduled: 15/01/17 5:00 PM
Estimated: 15/01/17 5:00 PM

Arrive: BNE
Terminal: D
Gate: 44B
Baggage: V02
Scheduled: 15/01/17 5:30 PM
Estimated: 15/01/17 5:30 PM

SYD Wait Times | SYD Delays | BNE Delays Comments:

SYD 500P D 39
BNE D GATE 530P
1FX CANX DUE F/O FATIGUE ON SYSNAN RETURN. *1634

Would be interesting to see any delay on the SYD-NAN or prior flights (contributing to any fatigue)?

 

[Melburnian1]

On Monday 16 January, VA143, the 0800 hours AKL - SYD (B738 VH-YIL) took off at 0915; it should arrive at 1026, 41 late.

 

[JohnK]

Would be interesting to see any delay on the SYD-NAN or prior flights (contributing to any fatigue)?

What concerns me is VA chose to cancel a flight more than 7 hours from departure. Couldn't find a backup F/O in that time?

I think it was cancelled due to light load. VA973 was full and late thanks to the weather issues in BNE yesterday.

 

[Melburnian1]

The Wednesday 18 January VA322 (B738 VH-VUY, 0955 hours BNE down to MEL) took off at 1027; arrival should be at about 1345, half an hour behind schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

The extremely heavy rainfall on Tuesday 7 February 2017 near SYD - 48 millimetres in an hour at Marrickville as one example - won't be helping VA's punctuality.

VA838, the 1200 'high noon' SYD - MEL was cancelled.

Perhaps unrelated, VA676 from PER to MEL is an expected two hours late with likely arrival at about 1610 this afternoon.

The 1400 SYD - MEL, VA846 is about 45 minuteslate with suggested arrival at about 1620.

VA740 from OOL down to MEL should arrive at about 1915 tonight, also two hours tardy.

 

[Melburnian1]

Friday 10 February sees VA977, the 1830 hours SYD - BNE (E190 VH-ZPT) stuck in a rather long queue at 1927 waiting for other departures to take off from runway 16L. Arrival will be at least 40 minutes late as it took off at 1941 to the south.

The 1830 hours SYD - MEL VA878 (B738 VH-VOS) is further back so given that this contribution is appearing at 1940 and the flight is due into MEL at 2015, it will also be more than half an hour late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Saturday 11 February's VA1459 (1035 hours MEL up to DRW) is expected to depart about 55 minutes late.

Earlier, VA308, the 1015 MEL arrival ex BNE was cancelled.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 12 February, VA863, the 1830 hours from MEL to SYD has been cancelled.

VA101 (1600 hours CHC to MEL, B738 VH-YIL) took off on time at 1615 but is not expected to be at its designated MEL gate until about 1833, 43 minutes late, looking like it has been slowed down by ATC. There was an intense storm that passed over SYD at around 1730 late this afternoon and as a result there is quite some air traffic congestion.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Monday 13 February, VA806, the 0645 hours SYD - MEL and a later flight, VA824, the 0900 hours departure have been cancelled. Northbound, VA813, the 0715 hours MEL - SYD has suffered an identical fate.

 

[Melburnian1]

Later on Monday 13 February, VA437, the 1825 hours ADL - SYD that took off at 1920 should arrive at 2126 hours, 36 late with B738 VH-VUV.

 

[Melburnian1]

Thursday 16 February sees VA808, the 0700 SYD - MEL that was not airborne until about 20 - 25 minutes late at 0741 (B738 VH-YFQ) having been placed in a 'hold' near Mt Buller. Hence arrival is suggested as 0911, 36 minutes behind schedule.

The following 0715 hours departure, VA810 (B738 VH-YIA) should arrive at 0922, 32 late.

VA812, the 0730 ex SYD is also delayed with arrival of B738 VH-VUO likely at 0937, also 32 minutes behind the eight ball.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with 16 February, VA685 - the 1305 hours from MEL to PER - with A332 VH-XFG did not become airborne until 1559 this afternoon; arrival is forecast for 1651, 151 minutes later than 1420.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA149 from AKL to MEL on Friday 17 February is expected to arrive about 130 minutes late at 1050, delaying the return of VA150.

On the SYD - MEL route, VA810 (B738 VH-YIG, the 0715 hours that was airborne at 0759) should arrive at roughly 0922, 32 minutes tardy.

E190 VH-ZPK on VA259 (0830 hours MEL - CBR that was not in the sky until 0932) should arrive at 1024, 49 minutes late.

B738 VH-VUZ on the 0910 hours MEL - OOL VA733 was airborne at 0956 with a 1056 instead of 1015 hours arrival suggested.

 

[Melburnian1]

Also on Friday 17 February, VA859 (the 1600) and VA865 (the 1645) from MEL to SYD have been cancelled. SO has VA883, the 1900 hours.

In the other direction, VA846, the 1400 SYD - MEL along with VA880 (the 1845) have been given the flick. Note that these cancellations are unbalanced.

It would be interesting to know if soft bookings or lack of pilots or cabin crew (or aircraft) were to blame.

While unusual, there was a small drop in total MEL - SYD - MEL passengers carried in December 2016, new BITRE figures show.

 

[Melburnian1]

With what looks to be a very severe storm approaching SYD as at 1450 on Friday 17 February, mid to late afternoon delays are likely.

UPDATE: South of SYD over Yass as at 1555 hours is busy with numerous aircraft in holding patterns such as VA651 that was about 20 minutes late in taking off from CBR at 1506 against its pushback time of 1435; aircraft ATR 72 VH-VPI has however already done two circuits above Crookwell so it is unlikely to arrive at what FR24 suggests will be 1637 hours. Its timetabled arrival is 1535. It may even have to return to CBR.

These delays inevitably increase: airports run out of available gates; gates may change at short notice confusing the elderly or less experienced travellers; pilots or flight attendants may start to exceed permitted hours and to cap it all off, there is at least a slight possibility that if storms are very severe, aircraft may be damaged or tarmacs flooded.

VA1280 diverted to CBR (B738 VH-YVC) even though its journey was meant to be from HTI to SYD: it landed at about 1603. It joins QF64 from JNB to SYD and a QF domestic, QF438 from MEL to SYD in also having done this.

The 1400 hours MEL - SYD, VA849 (B738 VH-VUI) also got very close to SYD but has diverted to CBR with it looking to be touching down at roughly 1610. It was due in SYD at 1525 so it will not be there until at least 1800 given inevitable congestion in the air (and out of CBR if and when the storm clears.)

 

[Melburnian1]

In further on Friday 17 February with its afternoon severe Sydney storm, VA113, the 1435 hours from NZ's ZQN to SYD that took off on time at 1448 is also diverting to CBR with B738 VH-YIR probably touching down at about 1640, compared with its SYD arrival timetable of 1600 hours.

Thank goodness for SQ whose SIN - CBR - WLG flights have meant the availability of immigration and customs ('Border Force') in CBR for ordinary passengers. I bet some staff are rushing to man these 'gates' as we speak.

VA1416, the 1130 CNS down to SYD that took off on time at 1141 this morning Queensland time (B738 VH-VUW) and which was due into SYD at 1535 also appears to be diverting to CBR with arrival likely at just before 1700.

Flights however appear to have resumed at SYD with VA850, the 1500 down to MEL having snuck out (taken off) at 1619 so arrival of E190 VH-ZPK should be at 1730, 55 minutes late.