Jetstar Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Later on 2 May, yet another B788 transfer flight is operating - empty ('ferry') - with JQ8991 having VH-VKG. It is the 1305 hours SYD - MEL.,,

This aircraft went from MEL to DPS on JQ35, the 1745 hours departing eight minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Joy upon joy!

Today (Thursday 2 May 2019) B788 VH-VKJ was released from its KIX "prison" and has operated JQ8999, airborne from KIX at 1516 Japanese time and arriving at HKG at 1805 hours.

It had been impounded subsequent to its 29 March 2019 arrival in KIX as it had major engine problems upon descending, as noted above in more than one post. That was 34 days ago.

Will this aircraft now undergo an overhaul or further inspection in Hong Kong? How long before it can again operate timetabled passenger flights?

 

[Melburnian1]

On Friday 3 May 2019, JQ38 from DPS to SYD (B788 VH-VKH) is arriving at a predicted 0819 hours, 124 minutes behind the timetable. It took off at 0119 this morning against a scheduled 2235 hours Thursday 2 May pushback.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Later on 2 May, yet another B788 transfer flight is operating - empty ('ferry') - with JQ8991 having VH-VKG. It is the 1305 hours SYD - MEL.

JQ43 from MEL to DPS departed at 1049, 94 late this morning.

QF6404 from HNL to SYD today, the hired replacement flight for JQ4 has B744 VH-OEI.

B788 VH-VKJ remains impounded in KIX, explaining some of the above. There does not seem to be any information as to when it may be again available to convey passengers. This is becoming a quite costly - in the early millions by my quick calculations - unexpected incident for JQ. It's not unprecedented for the QF Group to have aircraft suddenly inoperable (unplanned) for more than a month but it's far from an everyday occurrence.

It will be costing someone millions... maybe not Jetstar. JQ will be interested in the outcomes of the investigation because it could be a claim against someone else up the chain who might be responsible (manufacturer, maintainers, fuel suppliers). It might also be an insurance claim.

Dunno if this will actually hurt JQ’s bottom line.

 

[Melburnian1]

It will be constant someone millions... maybe not Jetstar...

Did you mean 'costing?'

MEL_Traveller, do you know what VH-VKJ has gone to HKG? A further inspection, repairs, standard maintenance as in a 'check'?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Did you mean 'costing?'

MEL_Traveller, do you know what VH-VKJ has gone to HKG? A further inspection, repairs, standard maintenance as in a 'check'?

Yes! autocorrect. Should be costing.

Dunno why it’s gone to hkg.

 

[Melburnian1]

JQ730, the Saturday 4 May 0820 hours LST up to MEL was airborne at 0915 hours with arrival for A321 VH-VWU suggested as 1011, 46 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Later on 4 May, JQ63 (1515 hours midafternoon MEL - SGN) is predicted to depart 70 late. This is because it is being formed by B788 VH-VKG on JQ2 from HNL to MEL that should arrive at about 1455, on time.

It is abnormal for a 1455 hours timetabled international arrival to form a 1515 hours departure, so this may be another consequence of VH-VKJ continuing to be unavailable. The latter (see above) is in HKG having been released from its impounding in KIX following the 29 March 2019 serious incident involving its two engines on approach to KIX.

 

[Melburnian1]

JQ36, the Sunday 5 arrival in MEL (ex DPS) should do so at about 0823, 103 late with B788 VH-VKA. It had "only" been 48 late arriving in DPS last night but spent much more time on the ground than allowed for under the timetable.

Later, JQ7 (1110 hours MEL - SIN that;s now down to two a week) took off at 1203 hours with suggested arrival 1728 late this afternoon local time, 38 minutes tardy. B788 VH-VKG is the taskmaster.

 

[Quickstatus]

At least VH-OEB the ex Asiana QF "ugly duckling" is still holding up the fort by operating the SYD-HNL_SYD legs for JQ.
It is consistently using QF6403 for SYD-HNL and QF6404 for the inbound HNL-SYD.

 

[Melburnian1]

At least VH-OEB the ex Asiana QF "ugly duckling" is still holding up the fort by operating the SYD-HNL_SYD legs for JQ.
It is consistently using QF6403 for SYD-HNL and QF6404 for the inbound HNL-SYD.

It''s had a stay of execution if I recall. I've not counted but it must have been to HNL and back from SYD at least 15 times since early April. Quite amazing, at A$550000 per return trip - the hire fee JQ "pays" to QF.

Quickstatus, if you could establish why VH-VKJ after its release from KIX flew to HKG I'd be appreciative. Further maintenance?

 

[Quickstatus]

In the past unions have accused the two of creative accounting where JQ makes the profit and QF makes the loss so as to put pressure on the mainline unions to concede a reduction in the enterprise union demands.

There is a limit to the stay of execution however. A lot of retirements are timed to "run the clock down" as it were, to use up the remaining hours prior to a major and very expensive ($ millions) maintenance "D" check. I wonder how many hours it has up its sleeve.

 

[Melburnian1]

In the past unions have accused the two of creative accounting where JQ makes the profit and Qf makes the loss so as to put pressure on the mainline unions to concede a reduction in the enterprise union demands.

And - while we don't want to go off topic for too long - from the unions' viewpoint, they'd claim that this is QF's way of justifying any abandonment of routes by QF and replacement by Onestar.

 

[Quickstatus]

And - while we don't want to go off topic for too long - from the unions' viewpoint, they'd claim that this is QF's way of justifying any abandonment of routes by QF and replacement by Onestar.

For most passengers who have had the NOSTAR experiece especially here with their penchant for cancellations, "One" star seems generous!

 

[Quickstatus]

Quickstatus, if you could establish why VH-VKJ after its release from KIX flew to HKG I'd be appreciative. Further maintenance?

Why HKG? Thats an easy question. There is a significant heavy aircraft MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility at HKG run by HAECO who also does the heavy 787 maintenance for the region.
QF has in the past used HAECO to do some heavy stuff for a couple of 747 and which got the Unions riled up.

I think currently:
737,A330 is done in house at BNE
747,787 is done at HAECO
380 is done at Lufthansa Teknik
And depending on presumably timings, space at these facilities and specific work required sometimes the airlines uses MNL eg for the 747, 380 etc for some other work

 

[Melburnian1]

Why HKG? Thats an easy question. There is a significant heavy aircraft MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility at HKG run by HAECO who also does the heavy 787 maintenance for the region....

Does anyone know how long VH-VKJ is likely to be in HKG?

 

[Quickstatus]

Does anyone know how long VH-VKJ is likely to be in HKG?

It was able to fly KIX-HKG so it might be basically flyable with "conditions".
The missing information is the actual identified problem.
The important signal that resulted from VKJ departing KIX is that the evidence discovery phase of the investigation have been completed or at least does not require the aircraft to be "impounded"

 

[Melburnian1]

It was able to fly KIX-HKG so it might be basically flyable with "conditions"...

Also a good sign that this empty - 'ferry' - flight operated without (reported) adverse incident.

The reason I'd like to have (to use the trendy modern term) 'visibility' re its stay in HKG is that while it's absent, JQ is having even more difficulty flying its published schedule, which as MEL_Traveller constantly reminds AFFers is hard enough even when all 11 are available for passenger flights.

 

[Quickstatus]

I should say that while at KIX some necessary repairs may have been done before this ferry flight.
For what its worth the altitude it operated at for KIX-HKG was 43000 feet ( think thats the ceiling for the 787-900 which in this case was also very light,

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 5 May 2019, JQ219, the early morning 0615 hours MEL - ZQN was cancelled.

This afternoon, the 1450 hours MEL - HKT JQ17 has been altered to depart at 1730 hours.

UPDATE: B788 VH-VKB on JQ17 did not become airborne until 1816. Arrival should be at about 2322, 157 minutes late, meaning JQ18 will similarly be badly late.