Virgin Australia Delays/Cancellations

[Must...Fly!]

I'll preface this by saying this is what it was like when I was around, and I am sure @AviatorInsight can correct me if anything looks wrong.

One question is when say there's bad weather in MEL and lots of flights are delayed (say for simplicity ex SYD) and the airline knows for instance that in the next hour two aircraft are meant to depart MEL back to SYD but there's only a total of 150 passengers booked (and a similar number on other flights at the other end), who makes the decision "which flight" to cancel?

Ops in Brisbane controls most of that. For VARA flights, that is done in Perth (presumably still that way). There is a separate area that deals with the passenger side of things (known as GRC).

Edit: If there is a local reason why one plane might be better than another, such as gate availability, or anything really, it's always possible to do a tailswap, but it does require a couple of phone calls. Swaps aren't always possible for a myriad of reasons. In the F100 fleet for example, some are HGW (High Gross Weight), and others not. Some destinations require the HGW variant as an absolute priority (sometimes necessity).

If it's really sudden event - a storm whose intensity wasn't well predicted by BOM, say - does the software then spit out the best possible rejigging of aircraft, and recommend flight cancellations, or is this done manually?

Sorry, I can't answer this question. I know such software exists, but I am unsure if VA have it, or if they just manipulate manually. Staff on the ground just dance to the tune they're played...

And how does the AMCO ensure that staff such as cabin crew know (when there's sudden changes) which aircraft they're next on? What if they can't continue with their agreed roster, and this affects an overnight stay in an 'outstation?' Does he let them know or does that occur later in the day?

That's mostly done by crewing. Each arm is basically independent in that regard, but the only one with access to everyone that matters is essentially the AMCO. The cabin crew might be waiting at a gate for an aircraft, but it's not there. So they ask the ground staff they see, who then in turn can ask the AMCO if required.

It can also work in reverse. If a flight is late inbound, or cancelled, or whatever, it may impact crewing for an onward sector. Crewing may need to pull a crew member from an incoming flight, who was scheduled to be off, or whatever - so it wasn't uncommon to ask the question when the aircraft called in to the local frequency that information or request would be passed on, either to consider the request, or simply to call crewing at first opportunity once on ground, and they can argue the details.

Note that in smaller ports the AMCO role is covered by the check-in supervisor. Having done it, it's an extremely busy job when that's the case!

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 10 June, VA2 from LAX to SYD (B773ER VH-VPF) should arrive 32 late at 0802 hours.

 

[Melburnian1]

The evening of Monday 11 June 2018 finds VA238, the dinner time 1805 hours ADL across to MEL that took off at 1912 (B738 VH-YIF) likely to arrive at 2044 hours, 49 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

The BOM forecast does not so indicate, but is there fog around NTL? VA1100, the Tuesday 12 June 0600 hours BNE - NTL did not take off until 0801 with B738 VH-YIA. At 1007, it remained in a holding pattern. JQ472 from MEL had also been in a hold but looked by 1010 to be attempting to land.

VA1100 is due into NTL at 0720 hours so is very late.

The 0800 hours SYD down to MEL, VA816, took off at 0903 so is arriving at 1026 hours, 55 late. VA820 on the same route (B738 VH-VOP) should be at its destination airport gate at around 1036 hours, 31 minutes late.

VA256 from CBR is hot on its heels with MEL arrival suggested as 1025, halof an hour tardy for B738 VH-YIE.

VA1615, the 0940 hours MEL up to MQL took off at 1025 so arrival is likely at 1120, 35 late for B738 VH-YFJ.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA870, the Wednesday 13 June 1730 hours late afternoon SYD - MEL took off at 1820. B738 VH-VUL should arrive at 1935, half an hour tardy.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Friday 15 June 2018, VA2 from LAX to SYD is arriving at 0806, 36 minutes late with B773ER VH-VPE.

 

[Melburnian1]

Saturday 16 June 2018 finds VA625, the 0600 hours CBR - SYD that did not become airborne until 0641 (ATR72 VH-FVY) arriving at a likely 0730 hours, half an hour late.

 

[Melburnian1]

A very wintry Sunday 17 June 2018, late evening, sees VA886, the 1930 hours SYD - MEL that was extremely late in becoming airborne at 2156 with B738 VH-VUH suggested as arriving at 230 hours, 125 late.

VA894, the 2100, took off at 2213 on the same route and should pull in to its allocated MEL gate at about 2334 tonight, 59 late. Aircraft is B738 VH-YFK.

 

[stevied71]

VA.337 MEL to BNE pushed back from 16:00to 17:45 departure - strong winds apparently.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA.337 MEL to BNE pushed back from 16:00to 17:45 departure - strong winds apparently.

Updating this, VA337 was not airborne until 1828 hours with BNE arrival estimated at 1956 hours, 106 minutes late for B738 VH-VON.

VA341 (1700 hours same route that took off at 1732 hours with VH-YIF is arriving at 1951, 41 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

As at 0930 on Saturday 23 June 2018, CBR looked to be closed due to fog as QF2461 and QR906 were both circling.

A third SYD - CBR, VA632 (ATR72 VH-VPJ), the 0805, took off if anything ahead of time at 0814 but had been in a hold over Bungendore. Nominal time of arrival is 0944 but it is possible a diversion may be required, although QF906 managed to land at 0935.

UPDATE: VA632 landed in CBR at 0946, strangely ahead of QF2461 that had been circling for a lot longer.

 

[Pleb Status]

VA470 BNE-PER is currently being delayed tonight by at least 50 minutes to replace one of the tyres on our A332 aircraft.

Good to have VA provide 'in depth' information on the cause of our current hiatus...

 

[Melburnian1]

Sunday 24 June 2018 also has VA470, the late afternoon 1745 hours BNE - PER that did not take off until 1856 (A332 VH-XFH) arriving at about 2218 tonight, 48 late.

VA1251 (operated by Alliance Airlines, F100 VH-XWT, the 1845 BNE up to ROK that was in the sky at 1948 hours) looks to be arriving at 2059, 59 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Va616 (Tuesday 26 June 1700 hours from MKY down to BNE that took off at 1926 hours with B738 VH-VUW) should arrive at 2037, 132 minutes tardy.

 

[Melburnian1]

Va797 (1950 hours BNE to CNS that took off at 2037, B738 VH-YFH) should arrive at roughly 2250 hours, half an hour late.

 

[Melburnian1]

On a foggy Thursday 28 June 2018 morning in Melbourne, timekeeping is very poor - another reason why we need high speed rail - as VA820, the 0830 hours SYD down to MEL that took off at 0937 (B738 VH-YFG) was in a hold over the NSW Snowy Mountains and then over Mt Buller. Arrival should be at 1132 hours, 87 late.

VH-VUT on the following VA824 is not much better with this 0900 hours SYD - MEL taking off at 0953, about 40 minutes late but similar holding patterns contributing to schedule time loss as arrival is predicted at 1144 hours, 69 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with a foggy Thursday 28 June 2018 in Melbourne, VA823 (0830 hours MEL - SYD, B738 VH-VUX) took off at 1227 so its 0955 scheduled arrival should become about 1335, 220 minutes late.

In the opposite direction, VH-YFC on VA830, the 1000 hours SYD - MEL took off at 1105 with arrival suggested as 1255 hours, 80 late.

VA319 has B738 VH-YIB and is the timetabled 0900 hours MEL up to BNE that took off at 1241 hours this afternoon. Arrival is predicted at 1446 hours, 216 minutes late.

VA837, the 1100 hours MEL - SYD (VHUV) should be 84 late in arriving at 1349 this afternoon.

 

[Melburnian1]

Late running from this morning's fog in MEL continues with Thursday 28 June's VA865, the 1645 hours MEL - SYD that was airborne at 1730 (B738 VH-YFC) suggested as arriving at 1845, 35 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

In more on Thursday 28 June, B738 VH-VUV on VA1467 (evening 2025 hours MEL - DRW) took off at 2134 so expected arrival is 0131 hours on Friday 29, 61 minutes late.

VH-VWD on the CBR - PER B738-operated VA589 should arrive at 2213 hours, 33 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

With the earlier fog in BNE on Friday 29 June 2018, VA905, the 0605 hours first of the morning from SYD to BNE that did not take off until 0939 hours (B738 VH-VUP) was in a hold above Mullumbimby at 1058. Arrival time is showing as 1110 but that is unlikely to match reality. The schedule had called for an 0800 arrival.

VA770 (VH-BZG), the first of the morning at a timetabled 0600 ex CNS looks to be arriving in BNE at about 1110 hours, 190 minutes late.

The BNE - POM VA39 with B738 VH-YID should arrive at 1441, 111 minutes behind time.