Virgin Australia Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

While some might question whether it is good for women who are 36 weeks pregnant to travel at all - by car, rail, bus, ferry or plane - a long distance, this lady can be put into the 'not happy with VA' category during the weekend storms referred to in previous VA posts above:

Pregnant woman sleeps on Brisbane Virgin terminal floor

 

[Melburnian1]

VA691 from MEL to PER has been delayed from 1735 hours on Friday 4 December to a forecast 2000 in departing.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA252 from CBR to MEL and VA204 from AL are among those at around 0800 on Saturday 5 December 2015 to have overflown MEL at a low altitude and then to have gone into a further holding pattern.

I have referred to this in more detail under the QF delays and cancellations thread.

Is there some fog at MEL? It was not forecast, and some aircraft have been taking off. Perhaps some of the AFF experts can have a look at these flights and advise.

At about 0820, a VA crew member complained to ATC 'it would have been nice to have been informed' (presumably about the delay in arrival time) and he said somthing akin to 'we're getting a little low (on fuel.)' I did not catch the entire conversation.

VA64 on Saturday 5 December is expected to arrive SYD ex DPS at 1119, a minute shy of two hours late as takeoff was not until 0238 despite the 0010 hours scheduled departure. B738 VH-YIY is the craft.

VA185, the 0945 from MEL to NAN did not take off until 1059 and hence is due at 1748 instead of 1645 in the Fijian locality.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA899, the 2045 hours MEL to SYD on Sunday 6 December is forecast as delayed in its departure until 2150 hours. This will make for an extremely close call with the 2300 hours curfew in SYD unless the flight has already been granted a dispensation by the Federal Minister's delegate.

The late running looks like it is due to the 1940 hours arrival from CBR, VA284, arriving at MEL at 2128 tonight.

Normally it is not possible for VA (or QF/JQ/TT) to turn around a B738 (or A320 as the case may be) in 22 minutes but fortunately these flights are operated by an Embraer E190, VH-ZPQ so there are fewer passengers and less luggage to respectively alight and board, or offload and load.

Is a claimed (forecast) 22 minutes still a tight turnaround for this smaller plane?

VA897, the 2100 hours northbound from MEL to SYD is forecast to depart at 2140.

UPDATE: At 2128 or so, VA284 appears to be climbing away from the airport. Was this a missed approach from the north due to the TT plane in front being too slow, or some other reason? MH129 (A333 9M-MTF) was right behind it and is also doing the same - climbing away. Surely there is not more localised fog as was the case at 0800 local time on Saturday 6 December? Was there some other congestion such as an aircraft being in an incorrect position on the east-west runway?

VA284 then landed from the east at 2137, making it pretty much impossible to depart for SYD until after 2200.

 

[Melburnian1]

Sunday 6 December's VA899 from MEL to SYD has at the last minute been cancelled due to the late arrival from CBR noted above.

On Monday 8 December, the 0645 hours on the same route, same direction has also been cancelled: VA809.

 

[Melburnian1]

With the storms in SYD tonigfht, VA540 was advised by ATC at 2057 that it was '6th in the queue' for an arrival after a member of the flight crew asked 'how long.' This flight has B738 VH-YID and is the 1805 hours OOL to SYD that should normally be in SYD at 2035, but it is now 2100 so it will be quite late.

It will be interesting to see if all flights make it out of SYD tonight.

VA999, the 2130 hours SYD to BNE's punctuality has not been helped by having to depart from 16L and hence adding about 24 kilometres to the trip. B738 VH-YFT will be about half an hour late, quite good given the earlier weather.

 

[QF WP]

There will definitely be some delays into BNE now. I am at Portside (on the river) and watching the storm and the final approach:





Been done spectacular lightning strikes south of the river

 

[QF WP]

Only one I can see (via FlightRadar24) that has been affected

 

[Melburnian1]

never a truer word, QF WP...but while unrelated, VA148, the 1730 hours AEST from BNE to PER did not take off until 1857 and therefore will not be in the West's capital until 2209 tonight, 64 minutes late. The uncomfortable conveyance for this long transcontinental haul is B738 VH-YVD - inferior in relation to a widebody A332 with (excuse the use of American-style jargon) 'The Business.'

VA347 is among an increasing number of planes in a holding pattern south of BNE, while VA1109, the 1820 hours from NTL to BNE was supposed to be 46 minutes late arriving at 1921 but looks to be still in a hold (E190 VH-ZPJ). VA981, the 1900 hours SYD to BNE that took off at 1927 is in a holding pattern over Grafton, NSW.

VA874, the 1800 hours SYD - MEL took off on 10 December at 2025 and is about 127 minutes late likely into MEL at 2142. VH-YFI (B738) is the aircraft.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Friday 11 December VA252 (E190 VH-ZPO) has not had a great start to the day with this 0625 hours flight taking off at 0746 from the national capital and arrival in MEL now at 0847, 72 minutes late. VA259, the 0830 hours MEL - CBR is likely to depart 55 minutes or so late due to the inbound's tardiness.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA691 on Friday 11 December has been delayed departing MEL for PER from 1735 until a forecast 2000 hours. It appears to have arrived from PER as VA686 only 10 late at 1850 tonight so something has gone awry.

 

[mavrick9]

A few small delays (45min - 1hr) out of SYD tonight on all airlines, down to one runway due to wind.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA1 from SYD to LAX on Sunday 13 December B773ER VH-VPH) was timetabled to depart at 1140 but did not take off until exactly an hour later. It should arrive at 0719, 49 minutes behind time. It is virtually operating in parallel with QF11, the usual A388.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA1508 is the 1125 MCY to MEL that on Sunday 13 December took off at 1349 AEST (about two hours late) with arrival slated for 1704, two hours 14 minutes behind time. B738 VH-VUR has formed it.

 

[Melburnian1]

Due to the 16 December 2015 ferocious SYD storms, VA flights are heavily disrupted with the 1700 hours SYD - MEL, VA866 taking off at 1917 and arrival expected at 2029 hours, an hour and 54 minutes behind time. B738 VH-VOM is the aircraft.

The following 1730 hours southbound departure, VA870 (VH-YFJ) took off at 1941 meaning an expected arrival at around 2040 hours, more than 90 minutes late.

VA962, the 1600 hours BNE - SYD did not take off until 1748 and will shortly be in SYD at 2004, 89 minutes late (ERJ190 VH-ZPM).

VA437, the evening 1825 hours from ADL to SYD took off at 2016 and hence will arrive at 2229 instead of 2050. The plane is B738 VH-VUD.

VA1378, the 1920 hours from MEL to LST took off at 2145 tonight and with B738 VH-VOM doing the honours should be in Tassie at 2229, 124 minutes late. I am guessing that flights like this may have to wait for late connecting passengers ex SYD.

This is only a sample of the delays. It will be interesting to see how the 'last' departures from MEL and BNE to curfew restricted SYD fare.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA516, the 1005 Saturday 19 December from OOL to SYD did not rise above the ground until 1334 this afternoon and will arrive at 1545, three hours and 10 minutes late in the shape of B738 VH-VOL.

VA1332. the 1940 hours to HBA took off from MEL at 2145 and will be in the Apple Isle's capital at 2220 hours, an hour and 25 minutes late with the aircraft E190 VH-ZPI.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA745 (B738 VH-YFS) normally departs MEL at 1410 hours for OOL but on Boxing Day 2015 did not take off until 1520, so it is about 50 minutes late, arriving at roughly 1605.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA1594, the 1425 hours from NTL to MEL (B738 VH-VUA) is just pulling into MEL at roughly 1808 hours, more than two hours late, as it did not take off until 1644 hours on Sunday 27 December 2015.

VA740 from OOL to MEL (B738 VH-YFQ) will be at the gate just after 1815, slightly more than an hour late.

VA1535, the 1810 hours from SYD to HBA did not take off until 1910 hours and should be in the Tasmanian capital at the gate at about 2050 hours, 45 minutes late. www.hobartairport.com.au has not updated the late arrival time, which is poor and misleading. As this plane normally returns to SYD as the 2040 hours VA1529 departure, it will be a reasonably close call to beating the 2300 hours curfew in SYD tonight, although it should make it - fingers crossed - with a margin of a few minutes.

 

[Melburnian1]

Thank you to all who have read this thread as it has now passed 10,000 views. That is miniscule compared to the 11 times that on the QF delays and cancellations thread but the VA thread commenced subsequent to the QF one. Clearly AFFers are much more interested in QF - to a percentage above the QF group's roughly 65 per cent domestic and 30 per cent international airline passenger market share into and out of Oz.

 

[JohnK]

Thank you to all who have read this thread as it has now passed 10,000 views. That is miniscule compared to the 11 times that on the QF delays and cancellations thread but the VA thread commenced subsequent to the QF one. Clearly AFFers are much more interested in QF - to a percentage above the QF group's roughly 65 per cent domestic and 30 per cent international airline passenger market share into and out of Oz.

Interesting to note the Jetstar thread has 50% more views than this Virgin thread.