Virgin Australia Delays/Cancellations

[AviatorInsight]

Today’s VA337 MEL-BNE has been cancelled and I’m not sure why. It may have to be aircraft related because all crew are present and accounted for.

 

[Melburnian1]

...To claim “pilot incompetence” is one of the most absurd things I’ve heard. If people think it’s easy I’ll gladly hand over the keys at top of descent (to give them plenty of time for the approach, I’m not that unreasonable).

Just to reassure you AviatorInsight (and Happy New Year, your contributions are great), I won't be offering to control the aircraft - in my case, that would be oxymoronic. Very funny reply but making a serious point. I share your concerns about 'journalism.' Unrelated to your field of expertise, there are reasonably frequent basic errors that mean stories are not being properly proofread. Unlike another of the contributing aviators to this website, as a mere passenger I still voraciously consume media but it's appalling when "they" can't get the field in which they're remunerated correct. Imagine if you did that...

On Tuesday 2 January, VA309 (0700 hours early morning MEL - BNE that took off at 0748) should arrive at 0842, 32 late. VH-YIA is the B738.

VA551 (A332 VH-XFG), the 0715 hours SYD across to PER that was airborne at 0759 looks to be pulling in at around 0951, 31 minutes tardy.

 

[AviatorInsight]

Just to reassure you AviatorInsight (and Happy New Year, your contributions are great), I won't be offering to control the aircraft - in my case, that would be oxymoronic. Very funny reply but making a serious point. I share your concerns about 'journalism.' Unrelated to your field of expertise, there are reasonably frequent basic errors that mean stories are not being properly proofread. Unlike another of the contributing aviators to this website, as a mere passenger I still voraciously consume media but it's appalling when "they" can't get the field in which they're remunerated correct. Imagine if you did that...

Thank you Melburnian1, and Happy New Year to you also. For those wanting to learn I'm very much an open book, but when I'm paxing around the country and I can hear the general public around me make comments about how much they know about aircraft and trying to explain to the person beside them what this noise is and what that panel is (without realising my profession), is very funny to hear and sometimes cringeworthy. No doubt these are the type of 'arm chair' experts that are the first to be in the media's face, telling them how poor of a job the pilots have done.

We all know that journalism can be somewhat sensationalised to make headlines and sell stories, but it's things like the recent crash on NYE of the Beaver that went down in the Hawkesbury River that journalists were reporting "accident investigators will be trying to recover the black boxes"...yeah good luck with that one, they'll be looking for a while I think. I'm beginning to think that there's an aircraft accident template in which all journalists just insert the information required for the initial story until more is given by the authorities.

Anyhow, thank you for your contributions to the forum and I look forward to more discussions in 2018.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA151 (Wednesday 3 January 2018 0700 hours AKL - BNE, B738 VH-YIU) took off at 0733. Expected arrival is 33 late at 0813 hours.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA556 on Wednesday 3 January 2018 (scheduled 1035 hours PER - SYD, A332 VH-XFH) that was in the sky at 1226 early this afternoon should arrive at roughly 1916 hours, 61 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

The 1100 hours late morning Thursday 4 January SYD - MEL VA834 did not become airborne until 1303 hours, so B738 VH-VUG's arrival is likely at 1415 hours, 100 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

A332 VH-XFC on VA679 (0915 hours MEL - PER that took off at 1022) should arrive at about 1118 hours, 48 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Tuesday 9 January sees VA2 from LAX to SYD (B773ER VH-VPD), the 2320 hours (Sunday 7) that took off at 0100 on Monday 8 likely to arrive at 0952 hours, 37 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Thursday 11 January 2018 has VA691 (1735 hours late afternoon MEL - PER that took off at 1913 with A332 VH-XFC) suggested as arriving at 2022 hours, 92 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA1327 (Friday 12 January 1500 hours mid afternoon HBA - MEL that took off at 1540, B737 VH-VBZ) looks to be arriving at 1649, 34 late but given the unsettled conditions in MEL (particularly to its east) there is quite a bit of holding occurring even though it's not quite the second afternoon peak period (the first always seems to be around 1500, and the second roughly 1700 - 1900).

 

[Melburnian1]

B773ER VH-VOZ on VA24 from LAX to MEL should arrive on Sunday 14 January at 0818 hours, 53 minutes late. As VA23 is not due to depart until 1330 this afternoon, in theory it will be on time.

 

[Melburnian1]

Sunday 14 January's VA36, the 2230 hours DPS - SYD that took off at 2349 with B738 VH-YIT should arrive on Monday 15 at 0859 hours, 79 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

It has been drizzling in SYD earlier in the day but much more rain is now occurring on Sunday 25 February.

VA962, the 1605 hours BNE down to SYD that took off any 1631 (only about 10 - 15 minutes late) was holding in the usual preferred location near Pokolbin NSW so B738 VH-YFI's arrival should be at around 1912, 32 late, showing just how much time a routine east coast flight can lose when weather deteriorates.

VH-Voo, another B738 on VA969, the 1715 hours MEL up to SYD that took off at 1751 should arrive at 1927, 47 late.

 

[Quickstatus]

A visual of what happened late this afternoon around Sydney. Yellow is heavier rain than green
This rain cell moved with me as I drove up from Wagga Wagga all the way to Sydney.

 

[Melburnian1]

B773Er VHJ-VOZ on VA23 (1330 hours afternoon MEL - LAX, Monday 5 March 2018) took off at 1417, about half an hour late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Monday 5 March's VA748 (the 1700 hours southwards-bound OOL to MEL with B738 VH-YWE) took off at 1754, so predicted arrival is 2106 hours, 46 late.

 

[AviatorInsight]

SYD DELAYS this morning due to a security camera outage throughout T2. Only staff are currently allowed through security screening points.

 

[AviatorInsight]

Update: Apparently the issue has now been resolved and they are only letting passengers through security on certain flights...expect LENGTHY delays.

 

[Melburnian1]

Further to AviatorInsight's information - nothing beats someone on the spot - there are some delays with B738 VH-YID on VA810 (0715 hours SYD - MEL) not becoming airborne until 0820, meaning arrival at 0932 hours, 42 late.

The 0700 SYD - MEL VA808 did not take off until 0833 with VH-YIA said to be arriving at 0949 hours, 74 minutes late.

VA812, the 0730 hours on the same route was in the sky at 0838 with B737 VHVBZ. Its arrival looks to be 54 late at 0959.

B738 VH-VFJ on VA839 (0700 hours SYd - OOL) took off at 0842 hours so instead of its scheduled 0720 hours arrival it should be at its arrival gate at 0844, 84 late.

VA913, the 0730 hours SYD up to BNE (B738 VH-VUL) took off at 0838 so it is not quite as delayed, with arrival suggested as 0846, 46 minutes behind time.

If anything, a couple of the JQ delays look to be worse - up to two hours.

As always in these situations, delays vary immensely and some flights - perhaps not many - are just a few minutes late.

Those aircraft rosters that have generous turnaround times in say late Friday morning when demand is not as high should be able to recover some of the delays but again, this will vary from aircraft to aircraft. Unpunctuality brings other problems such as aircraft not having left allocated gates and in a worst case, arriving aircraft being unable to be accommodated do it is always possible for delays to compound.

Unhelpful that it's a Friday when some states such as Victoria are having a long weekend on Monday, so demand for travel in one direction will be high.

 

[Melburnian1]

A332 VH-XFC on VA86, the overnight HKG - MEL should arrive on Tuesday 13 at 0852, 37 late with a holding pattern just east of Bendigo not assisting timekeeping.