Emirates Delays/Cancellations

Every day, the SYD airport site shows EK417 and EK413 cancelled out of Sydney, but also in silly fashion shows EK412, an 0845 hours morning SYD - CHC as booted. Very few passenger flights (exclusively operated by Air NZ?) are operating across the Tasman due to NZ Prime Minister Ardern's ban on Australians until 1 May 2022, as she continues to pursue an unviable, self-defeating 'elimination strategy'. Won't work!
 
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On Thursday 31 March 2022, EK415, the unattractively timed for departure at 0600 from SYD to DXB is delayed to an expected 0930 hours. A388 A6-EUI on EK412 is forming this, but this flight was scheduled to arrive in SYD at 0655 but arrived at 0739, 44 minutes late so it's impossible for 'the 415 to be anything close to time.

An hour and 50 minutes for an A380 turnaround is probably the best that could be achieved.

EK414 on Wednesday, the 0150 hours DXB - SYD was airborne at 0308 hours but instead of travelling to SYD, it diverted to MEL due to not meeting the SYD curfew requirements so A388 A6-EUJ has not spent overnight in Sydney, explaining the unavoidable delay with 'the 415' this morning.

EK414D is displaying as a MEL - SYD working at 2100 hours mid evening on Thursday 31, which doesn't live much room for late running given the 2300 hours SYD curfew. I assume it reflects how the EK crew must have minimum mandated rest in Melbourne.
 
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The delayed EK415 on Thursday 31 March 2022 took off at 1028 hours from SYD so DXB arrival is estimated as 1720, 240 minutes late, meaning many missed connections.
 
As a follow on to the previous two posts, EK413 (2145 hours mid evening SYD - DXB on Thursday 31 March 2022) is delayed overnight for a long time until a proposed 1400 hours ex SYD on 1 April 2022. No April Fools Day joke (which can't be after midday), but for out-of-towners without pressing time commitments, perhaps a pleasant stay in a good SYD hotel tonight.

I assume this is either to do with mandatory crew rest or crew positioning following the above diversion of a SYD-bound flight to MEL last night.
 
EK414 (either the 1015 or 1010 hours DXB - SYD that's always an A388) has had poor punctuality in the last few days, with the flights from 24 to 30 March 2022 ranging between 28 and 119 minutes late arriving.
 
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Following its diversion to MEL noted above, A388 A6-EUJ operated on Thursday 31 March 2022 as an EK414 extension, taking off from MEL at 2039 and arriving at 2152 hours.
 
On Friday night 10 June 2022, EK413 from SYD to DXB (A388 A6-EUL) is anticipated to depart at 2250 hours, 105 minutes tardy.

The aircraft was only five minutes late arriving in SYD this morning at 0610 hours as EK412, so a delayed arrival of the inbound is not the problem. Unavailable staff due to sickness, slow passenger check-in or security lines in SYDi, aircraft maintenance...take your pick...
 
As with major competitor SQ, EK has a very good record for timekeeping ex Australia.

However on Wednesday 20 July 2022, EK409, the shockingly timed 0515 hours MEL - DXB did not take off with A388 A6-EVD until 0751 hours. It was minus0.7 at MEL (Airport) at 0530 this morning. No deicing machine hehe?

DXB arrival is suggested as 1437 hours, 87 late. This is the second time in a week that this flight will have been more than an hour late arriving.
 
As with major competitor SQ, EK has a very good record for timekeeping ex Australia.

However on Wednesday 20 July 2022, EK409, the shockingly timed 0515 hours MEL - DXB did not take off with A388 A6-EVD until 0751 hours. It was minus0.7 at MEL (Airport) at 0530 this morning. No deicing machine hehe?

DXB arrival is suggested as 1437 hours, 87 late. This is the second time in a week that this flight will have been more than an hour late arriving.
Almost certainly ice related.

The operating aircraft comes in as EK408 at 2150 so there’s a huge window to make up time.
 
Almost certainly ice related.

The operating aircraft comes in as EK408 at 2150 so there’s a huge window to make up time.

docjames, I've only been on board once when a plane was 'deiced' and that was at MUC. It was efficient but they're used to it.

How long does it take for ice crystals if that's the correct term to typically form in sufficient quantity on aircraft given temperatures at freezing point or below to require such a procedure to occur?
 
With 'feels like' below freezing temperatures at Melbourne Airport on Thursday 21 July, EK409 was again badly delayed, with this 0515 hours flight (A388 A6-EVI) not airborne until 0840 hours. Arrival should be at about 1553 hours, 163 minutes late, presumably meaning missed connections for some.

During July and August it may be a bad idea to book this flight if one has a choice.
 
Saturday 23 July 2022 has seen EK415 (early morning 0600 hours SYD - DXB operated by A388 A6-EUL) not airborne until 1003 hours, so estimated at gate arrival is 1735, 205 minutes tardy.

I read somewhere this week that 70 per cent of Australian-originating connecting passengers on EK are bound for LHR (unsurprising, given our historic and familial links with the Old Dart, or Ireland) but EK5, the 1545 hours, is the last LHR-bound flight for the day ex DXB so perhaps passengers have to be rebooked on EK7 at 0230 hours if seats are available.

Six of the previous seven EK415 flights were under 15 minutes late or early arriving in DXB so quite unusual for it to operate this late.
 
On Sunday 14 August, EK412, the 1015 hours DXB down to SYD (A388 A6-EVR) was airborne at 1328 hours.

By 0800 hours AEST on Monday 15, it was holding directly west of Goulburn NSW, so arrival give or take a few minutes is estimated as 0833 hours, 148 minutes behind schedule. Air traffic controllers must really "love" a late running A380 that seeks to arrive during peak periods, especially Monday morning.

This aircraft normally sits at SYD all day, forming EK413 at 2110 hours mid evening.
 
One I missed - apologies - was that on Sunday 14 August, EK409, the super early morning 0515 hours MEL-DXB (A388 A6-EVD) was airborne at 0556 hours but diverted to MCT in Oman, from where it took off at 1515 to arrive DXB at 1627 hours, 202 minutes late.
 
IT was only five degrees at MEL at around 0500 hours on Tuesday 23 August, with EK409 (the 0515 hours MEL up to DXB, A388 A6-EUR) not airborne untilk 0614 hours. Arrival should be at 1343 hours, 33 behind.
 
A388 A6-EUJ is operating EK415, the 0600 hours SYD-DXB that was displaying as pushing back at 0720 but it's further delayed.
 
The early morning Wednesday 14 September 2022 SYD-DXB due out at 0600 hours, EK415, instead took off at 0819 with A388 A6-EUE. Arrival is estimated at gate at 1544, 94 minutes behind schedule, risking some connections. This flight tends to be punctual.
 
Wednesday 14 December 2022 sees EK412 (A388 A6-EVQ) arriving SYD at an estimated 0738 hours, 33 minutes behind schedule.
 

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