Virgin Australia Delays/Cancellations

[Pleb Status]

VA470 BNE-PER is currently delayed two and a half tonight due to an engineering issue.

The A332 is being downgraded to a 73H and I am now negotiating compensation for the downgrade as I am travelling in J.

Edit: When are we going VA? 2:40 min now....

 

[Melburnian1]

Not quite as bad a delay as that which Pleb Status is suffering, but VA1467 (B738 VH-VFF), the 2025 hours MEL - DRW took off at 2251. Expected arrival is 0040 on Monday 12, 80 late.

Pleb's VA470 has B738 VH-YIB and departed at 2030 hours from BNE, taking off promptly at 2044. Arrival looks to be 0004 on Monday, 179 late. Poor Pleb if he has an hotel room: probably an 0100 check in, not much fun if he has an 0900 hours meeting (or worse, an 0745 hours breakfast meeting).

 

[Pleb Status]

Not quite as bad a delay as that which Pleb Status is suffering, but VA1467 (B738 VH-VFF), the 2025 hours MEL - DRW took off at 2251. Expected arrival is 0040 on Monday 12, 80 late.

Pleb's VA470 has B738 VH-YIB and departed at 2030 hours from BNE, taking off promptly at 2044. Arrival looks to be 0004 on Monday, 179 late. Poor Pleb if he has an hotel room: probably an 0100 check in, not much fun if he has an 0900 hours meeting (or worse, an 0745 hours breakfast meeting).

Scheduled to start work at 06:00 tomorrow so I should get about four hours sleep. Thanks VA.

Why anybody pays for 73H J is beyond me...

 

[Melburnian1]

VA850, the 1500 hours mid afternoon SYD - MEL with B738 VH-YID did not take off until 1538 hours - about 20 - 25 late - so delayed arrival is predicted as 1705, 35 late.

 

[AviatorInsight]

Pandemonium this morning. All flights into MEL delayed due fog. Low vis procedures in force.

 

[Melburnian1]

Pandemonium this morning. All flights into MEL delayed due fog. Low vis procedures in force.

Yet MEL has previously boasted about its Category III ILS.

While fog in MEL may not occur as often as at some other major Oz airports, it's another reason why we need high speed rail connecting MEL - CBR - SYD - NTL - CFS - BNK - OOL - BNE, as there's now the population density to support HSR.

VA808 (B738 VH-YWE, the 0700 hours southbound SYD down to MEL) was in the sky at 0809 with predicted arrival 0938 hours, 63 late.

VA810 has B738 VH-VUE. This 0715 hours SYD to MEL was in the sky at 0833. Projected arrival is 0954, 64 late.

The 0715 hours MEL - PER, VA675 has the lovely A332 VH-XFD but did not take off until 0828 hours, roughly an hour behind schedule.

VA812, the 0730 hours SYD down to MEL has B738 VH-VUV and was still taxiing at 0841 hours, so should be about 65 minutes late arriving in the southern capital. It took off at 0849.

The following VA814 (VH-YFR, the 0745 hours southbound) was similarly still taxiing at 0850.

Expect these delays to take quite some time to moderate, although fortunately it isn't a super busy Monday morning or Friday afternoon. However MEL is now so important in the national network that problems there inevitably result in a goodly percentage of national flights running late.

 

[AviatorInsight]

Yet MEL has previously boasted about its Category III ILS.

Expect these delays to take quite some time to moderate.

Which unless, conditions permit a CAT I ILS they won’t be using CAT III procedures because it will clog up the taxiways in terms of spacing and ILS protection areas.

I didn’t check earlier if they were using CATII/III but weather was right on the minima for CAT I (200ft AGL).

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with what has been a foggy morning in MEL, VA256 (0845 hours CBR down to MEL, B738 VH-VOK) took off at 0949 with arrival likely at 1055, an hour late.

VA308 from BNE to MEL has colleague VH-VUP and is arriving at gate at about 1058 hours, 43 late.

The 0830 hours SYD down to MEL, VA820 (B738 VH-VBY) took off at 0945 so it should be at its destination at roughly 1105, an hour behind time.

VA824, the 0900 hours southbound that was airborne at 1006 is a little better with VH-VUG expected at gate at 1121, 46 minutes tardy.

 

[Melburnian1]

Delays continue into the afternoon of 14 November from earlier MEL fog as VA736 (1100 hours OOL down to MEL) took off 74 minutes later. VH-YWE should arrive 56 late at 1516.

VA523, the 1310 hours SYD - OOL took off at 1448. B738 VH-VUW should arrive at 1454, 84 late. This flight is the aircraft's first one today so unsure why it was delayed, as it has not been anywhere near MEL.

The scheduled 1300 hours SYD - MEL, VA842 was in the sky at 1410 with B737 VH-VBY. estimated arrival is 1525, 50 late.

As always, delays are not uniform nor is every flight affected. Very much depends on rosters or connecting passengers (and crews).

 

[Melburnian1]

The 0920 hours Thursday 15 November midmorning SYD to MKY (VA479, B738 VH-YFJ) was only in the very early stages of taxiing as at 1022, so will be at least 40 minutes late arriving.

The 0910 hours VA679 from MEL across to PER (comfortable A332 VH-XFJ) did not become airborne until 1018 hours. Estimated arrival is 1115, 50 late.

SYD - AKL VA141 took off at 1107, 67 minutes after mandated departure time, so arrival will not be until 1556, 46 late for B738 VH-YIM.

 

[RooFlyer]

VA1333 HBA-MEL delayed 25 mins ( for now), reason claimed to be 'one runway operation at Melbourne'.

Anyone know if that's true? If so, fair dinkum, does that airport ever operate to its capacity? Fog, runway maintenance, one runway...

 

[AviatorInsight]

VA1333 HBA-MEL delayed 25 mins ( for now), reason claimed to be 'one runway operation at Melbourne'.

Anyone know if that's true? If so, fair dinkum, does that airport ever operate to its capacity? Fog, runway maintenance, one runway...

There’s been a few cancellations this morning due to available slots into MEL. I’m not sure if this is just a flow on effect. But they’re using 16 for arrivals and 27 for departures. When they can and the wind is good enough on 34, you’ll get simultaneous landings 34 and 27. That’s when the airport is running efficiently, because you’ve got arrivals and departures on both runways.

Having said that, BNE used to be the worst to get screwed around, but now I find MEL has recently become a nightmare to operate into. Constant ATIS changes, runway changes and holding, long weird taxi routes and the list goes on.

 

[Melburnian1]

There’s been a few cancellations this morning due to available slots into MEL. I’m not sure if this is just a flow on effect. But they’re using 16 for arrivals and 27 for departures. When they can and the wind is good enough on 34, you’ll get simultaneous landings 34 and 27. That’s when the airport is running efficiently, because you’ve got arrivals and departures on both runways.

Having said that, BNE used to be the worst to get screwed around, but now I find MEL has recently become a nightmare to operate into. Constant ATIS changes, runway changes and holding, long weird taxi routes and the list goes on.

A smaller airline recently claimed that MEL maximum capacity was (if I recall) 50 movements an hour (a movement meaning an arrival or a departure) but that the airport routinely scheduled (again from memory) more than 60. I'd have thought airports would have to do this in consultation with airlines, CASA/ATC and the like. The airline (was it Sharp, Rex or similar?) was endeavouring to point out that 'impossible' expectations were being created.

 

[Melburnian1]

Also on Thursday 15 November, VA997, the 2100 hours mid evening SYD up to BNE was in the sky at 2155. B738 VH-YIZ looks to be arriving 46 late at 2216 hours tonight.

VA754, the 2030 OOL down to MEL took off at 2110, so VH-YIB should be arriving on Friday 16 at 0021, 31 late.

VA799 (VH-VOK, the 2005 hours BNE up to CNS that was airborne at 2123 hours) should arrive at 2325, an hour tardy.

The 2025 hours to DRW ex MEL, VA1467, is worse with B738 VH-YFE likely to arrive at 0051, 91 late.

 

[AviatorInsight]

A smaller airline recently claimed that MEL maximum capacity was (if I recall) 50 movements an hour (a movement meaning an arrival or a departure) but that the airport routinely scheduled (again from memory) more than 60. I'd have thought airports would have to do this in consultation with airlines, CASA/ATC and the like. The airline (was it Sharp, Rex or similar?) was endeavouring to point out that 'impossible' expectations were being created.

Yep that definitely makes sense to me.

 

[Melburnian1]

A332 VH-XFC on VA83, the nicely timed day flight at 1015 hours from SYD to HKG on Saturday 17 November had not taken off by 1121, so will be at least 40 minutes late.

 

[Silvia]

VA69 MEL-HKG is severely delayed A332 (VH-XFH) scheduled at 11am, left at 5 14pm 374 min late, expected to arrive at 11 26pm 351 late.
It appears that VA68 the night before was diverted back to HK which caused the delay.
So expecting that VA68 tonight will be also quite delayed.

Also VA23 MEL-LAX (VH-VPF) left 103 late at 3 13pm, expected 64 min late to LAX at 10 04am.

 

[Melburnian1]

Monday 19 November 2018 sees VA24 (B773ER VH-VPE) on its LAX to MEL journey likely to arrive at 0831, 66 minutes late, with a holding pattern in the favoured ATC spot above Mt Buller (Vic) contributing. Interestingly it is following VA68 from HKG in, which if anything is two or three minutes early. Quite unusual to have two long distance VAi flights landing in succession as VAi does not operate a huge number of international flights.

 

[Silvia]

Monday 19 November 2018 sees VA24 (B773ER VH-VPE) on its LAX to MEL journey likely to arrive at 0831, 66 minutes late, with a holding pattern in the favoured ATC spot above Mt Buller (Vic) contributing. Interestingly it is following VA68 from HKG in, which if anything is two or three minutes early. Quite unusual to have two long distance VAi flights landing in succession as VAi does not operate a huge number of international flights.

Just saw VA24 on my walk to work, pretty loud and indeed late!

 

[Silvia]

Today, VA806 SYD-MEL 6 45am service was cancelled. VH-VUL which was the designated aircraft was used instead on the 8am service.
VA304 BNE-MEL, 5 55am service was cancelled.
VA393 MEL-BNE, 6am service was also cancelled.
VA 809 MEL-SYD 6 45am flight also cancelled.