Melburnian1
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BITRE has published its annual punctuality figures for our domestic airlines:
https://bitre.gov.au/statistics/aviation/otp_annual.aspx
The important figures are arrival times and cancellation rates.
VA narrowly won bragging rights as the most punctual domestic airline in Australia for calendar year 2016. It was not far ahead of QF, but to beat QF is an achievement.
Expect some advertising in one's inbox or in major newspapers like 'The Australian' and 'AFR' highlighting this.
On the important (for morale) transcontinental major routes, VA beat QF eastbound for PER to SYD. The two tied for PER to MEL. Westbound, VA won both.
For the highest patronised (and probably most lucrative) route, MEL - SYD - MEL, VA beat QF for timekeeping both ways but VA had a somewhat higher cancellation rate.
JQ was by far the worst. This should not come as a surprise to anyone who travels or who observes flights, even on FR24.
Cancellations within seven days of timetabled departure have increased. While weather can play a part, it's difficult to escape a partial conclusion that some are due to the airlines 'managing capacity.' AFF member quickstatus has had a bit to say on this interesting topic.
For instance from Melbourne to Sydney, VA cancelled (in that direction) 4.7 per cent of its flights, JQ 4.2 and QF 4.1.
From Adelaide to Sydney, QantasLink had an extraordinary 6.4 per cent cancellation rate of its 329 scheduled flights (which admittedly is less than one flight a day.)
However, JQ beat that (sadly) with 10.8 per cent of PER to MEL flights getting the chop. An AFF member (bismarck?) highlighted this and made the point that with only two scheduled flights on the route each day, JQ's cancellations would see passengers experience marked delays depending on whether and how quickly they were transferred to QF flights.
Yet on a route such as DRW to BNE that experiences climatic challenges due to tropical weather, only four of 1486 scheduled flights were cancelled with JQ's cancellation rate the highest at 0.7 per cent.
A typical target cancellation rate for surface transport in an Australian capital city might be two per cent a month or less, with the target often being met or 'bettered' (that is, fewer cancellations as a percentage of the timetabled runs.)
Modes face different challenges: an airport can be shut down due to weather; a rail line due to a signal fault or suicide, or a major road due to a collision.
However, four per cent is high as a cancellation rate. If a VA offpeak flight from MEL to SYD is cancelled it can mean a minimum wait of an hour until the next timetabled flight.
The popular impression may still be that TT is by far the least punctual domestic airline. This has not been true for quite some time.
JQ, the wooden spooner, has a lot of work to do as operating almost a quarter of flights more than 15 minutes late (arrival time) combined with on some routes a high percentage of cancellations is a poor outcome for patrons.
Only 71.1 per cent of JQ arrivals into MEL were 15 minutes or less late. The 'new' T4 - about which many have complained - is probably one major factor. When I have been there, it is pretty common to see an aircraft turnaround schedule for around 30 - 35 minutes take an absolute minimum of 35 - 40. Lots of factors may influence this including controlled ATC departure times but the schedule designers were prepared to say 'on paper' that these times could work. Often, they do not.
https://bitre.gov.au/statistics/aviation/otp_annual.aspx
The important figures are arrival times and cancellation rates.
VA narrowly won bragging rights as the most punctual domestic airline in Australia for calendar year 2016. It was not far ahead of QF, but to beat QF is an achievement.
Expect some advertising in one's inbox or in major newspapers like 'The Australian' and 'AFR' highlighting this.
On the important (for morale) transcontinental major routes, VA beat QF eastbound for PER to SYD. The two tied for PER to MEL. Westbound, VA won both.
For the highest patronised (and probably most lucrative) route, MEL - SYD - MEL, VA beat QF for timekeeping both ways but VA had a somewhat higher cancellation rate.
JQ was by far the worst. This should not come as a surprise to anyone who travels or who observes flights, even on FR24.
Cancellations within seven days of timetabled departure have increased. While weather can play a part, it's difficult to escape a partial conclusion that some are due to the airlines 'managing capacity.' AFF member quickstatus has had a bit to say on this interesting topic.
For instance from Melbourne to Sydney, VA cancelled (in that direction) 4.7 per cent of its flights, JQ 4.2 and QF 4.1.
From Adelaide to Sydney, QantasLink had an extraordinary 6.4 per cent cancellation rate of its 329 scheduled flights (which admittedly is less than one flight a day.)
However, JQ beat that (sadly) with 10.8 per cent of PER to MEL flights getting the chop. An AFF member (bismarck?) highlighted this and made the point that with only two scheduled flights on the route each day, JQ's cancellations would see passengers experience marked delays depending on whether and how quickly they were transferred to QF flights.
Yet on a route such as DRW to BNE that experiences climatic challenges due to tropical weather, only four of 1486 scheduled flights were cancelled with JQ's cancellation rate the highest at 0.7 per cent.
A typical target cancellation rate for surface transport in an Australian capital city might be two per cent a month or less, with the target often being met or 'bettered' (that is, fewer cancellations as a percentage of the timetabled runs.)
Modes face different challenges: an airport can be shut down due to weather; a rail line due to a signal fault or suicide, or a major road due to a collision.
However, four per cent is high as a cancellation rate. If a VA offpeak flight from MEL to SYD is cancelled it can mean a minimum wait of an hour until the next timetabled flight.
The popular impression may still be that TT is by far the least punctual domestic airline. This has not been true for quite some time.
JQ, the wooden spooner, has a lot of work to do as operating almost a quarter of flights more than 15 minutes late (arrival time) combined with on some routes a high percentage of cancellations is a poor outcome for patrons.
Only 71.1 per cent of JQ arrivals into MEL were 15 minutes or less late. The 'new' T4 - about which many have complained - is probably one major factor. When I have been there, it is pretty common to see an aircraft turnaround schedule for around 30 - 35 minutes take an absolute minimum of 35 - 40. Lots of factors may influence this including controlled ATC departure times but the schedule designers were prepared to say 'on paper' that these times could work. Often, they do not.
