QF: All flights into and out of Sydney cancelled due to fog

[Homer]

Not sure if this is the right forum for this post...I couldn't find a "breaking news" forum.

About 15 minutes ago I received a text from QF advising that my 7.05am flight to BNE was cancelled. I knew immediately why - there's a substantial amount of fog around Sydney this morning. I called and rebooked on to a 10.05 flight. Apparently pax that don't re-book or respond to the text are just going to be "managed" at the airport.

Edit: The thread title should be "cancelled due to fog".

 

[NM]

You may not have the correct culprit for the cancellations. Perhaps the LAME union should be taking some of the blame. Expect multiple cancellations and delays today.

 

[Homer]

I think this may be an incredibly happy coincidence for QF given that they had to cancel flights anyway due to industrial action. The fog is definitely real. I just called a colleague who was scheduled to fly on DJ at 7.30am and his flight was also cancelled. However he did point out that he lives near the flight path and he heard at least one flight leave this morning.

 

[Mal]

It's going to be a horrible day flying today (and tomorrow when the cancellations occur for the LAME reasons)

 

[milehighclub]

I think your title is a little bit exaggerated. Only a handful of flights out of Sydney have been cancelled - The airport isn't at a standstill. A lot of flights have been delayed, in particular international flights from all airlines arriving this morning thus international departures from this morning are running late.

 

[serfty]

Most definitely fog is the issue.

For Qantas 24 of 45 scheduled departures between 6am and 9am were cancelled or at least 20 minutes late.

Absolute bedlam 7:30-8:30 with average delays of well over 50 minutes.

 

[Homer]

I think your title is a little bit exaggerated. Only a handful of flights out of Sydney have been cancelled - The airport isn't at a standstill. A lot of flights have been delayed, in particular international flights from all airlines arriving this morning thus international departures from this morning are running late.

I was citing QF in the title, hence "QF: All flights...". It probably would have been clearer had I appended " - Qantas" to the title. In any case milehighclub, the point is that it wasn't my statement. That's what I was told by a QF call centre operator at 5.50am. The same information was also reported on smh.com.au, ABC Radio and both the breakfast TV programs (which, I hasten to add, I never watch except when I am sitting in an empty house waiting for fog to clear so I can catch a plane...).

Other sources include the two QF pilots who sat opposite me in J this morning on my rescheduled 10am flight, which actually pushed back at 10.40am, who said that "nothing got in or out for a couple of hours this morning".

 

[JohnK]

I was up early this morning for golf and the fog is the worst I remember it for this time of the year. Driving to the golf course at 6:30am visibility was limited and the fog was definitely around at Bardwell Valley until 8:30-9:00am. Great day now and you wouldn't know there was any issues this morning.

My friend was returning from HKG this morning and the flight was diverted to MEL. Have not kept in touch so not sure if he is back in SYD yet. He is not happy at all but what can you do....

 

[Mrmaxwell]

My Jetstar flight to Honolulu (JQ3) has been delayed 4.5 hrs now departing 10.30pm (originally 6pm). Long wait in Sydney tonight....I hope we get a QF jumbo - there are so many PAX check in took 2hrs.

 

[Mal]

United were diverted to Brisbane, and kept all passengers on the plane for a couple of hours.

There are some media articles about it floating around.

 

[Kendall Roy]

The SQ A380 was stuck at MEL for a couple of hours. Even got a mention on the 6pm news as the first commercial flight to MEL.

 

[Kendall Roy]

I was up early this morning for golf and the fog is the worst I remember it for this time of the year. Driving to the golf course at 6:30am visibility was limited and the fog was definitely around at Bardwell Valley until 8:30-9:00a.

Great golf course BV. Quite enjoy the tee-off on the 1st.

 

[JohnK]

Great golf course BV. Quite enjoy the tee-off on the 1st.

Not so enjoyable off the back tee on medal day.

Great little golf course though and that is why I am a member there.

 

[NM]

United were diverted to Brisbane, and kept all passengers on the plane for a couple of hours.

There are some media articles about it floating around.

Just imagine how annoyed the passengers would have been if they had disembarked and had all their duty-free booze confiscated as they went through the security screening that is required for transit passengers. Sometimes its better to sit it out on board rather than get off and have to comply with the security requirements.

 

[Mal]

Sometimes its better to sit it out on board rather than get off and have to comply with the security requirements.

Indeed! More info here: Flight passengers left sitting on tarmac - Queensland - BrisbaneTimes

A United Airlines spokesperson said Brisbane Airport Corporation could not provide the airline with a "secure and sterile" area - as required by United States transport security regulations - in which to let the passengers wait.

A Brisbane Airport Corporation spokesperson said the airport's security arrangements did satisfy US requirements but there was confusion between operations staff.

Interestingly, this is pretty similar to what happened last year when fog season hit.

 

[Kendall Roy]

Not so enjoyable off the back tee on medal day.

Great little golf course though and that is why I am a member there.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to tee up there when I'm up for the long weekend.

Failing that, the quality:shock: 9 hole Canterbury course does the trick!

Back OT: I know my boss was 4 hours late because of the delays. No complaints here!

 

[SeatBackForward]

I was on the redeye coming back from Perth that morning, and we got diverted to Melbourne for a couple of hours. Some points I noted:

1) Wow that A380 does look big, even when its parked well away from the terminal out on the taxiway of MEL
2) Our QF pilot got the news early and flew direct to Melbourne to assue us a spot at the terminal
3) They gave passengers the option to stay on board or go to the terminal, but everyone had to get off the plane to re-board
4) No bags to remain inside the plane...and yep of course people did, and delayed re-boarding
5) At reboarding, the old cardboard BP's worked fine, but the newer paper BP's came up with errors about wrong origin.

All in all, not a good way to travel overnight.

 

[Commuter]

About time they put a 'proper' ILS there.

 

[Blackswan]

I remember flying from PER on DJ this time last year, with a thick fog.

I'm really suprised we got down, we were the only arrival for three hours.

Saying that, there were a few 'oooohs' when we hit the ground pretty hard and fast. Yes I know this is subjective, but even the FA's made a comment on the PA

 

[NYCguy]

I remember flying from PER on DJ this time last year, with a thick fog.

I'm really suprised we got down, we were the only arrival for three hours.

Saying that, there were a few 'oooohs' when we hit the ground pretty hard and fast. Yes I know this is subjective, but even the FA's made a comment on the PA

Does the word "Cowboy" mean anything to you in this context?