Melburnian1
Enthusiast
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- Jun 7, 2013
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While some was weather related, the appalling domestic airline punctuality on the Sydney - Melbourne route, Australia's busiest, in October 2016 shows why we need high speed trains along the lower east coast of Australia:
http://bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/files/BITRE_OTP_Report_October_2016.pdf
Across the Australia-wide domestic network, VA and its smaller 'regional' (sic) network were top of the pops but overall punctuality dropped compared with October 2015.
In October 2016 in the southbound (SYD - MEL) direction, 37 per cent of Jetstar flights were more than 15 minutes late arriving in MEL. The same was true for 30.8 per cent of Tigerair flights, 29.1 per cent of Qantas flights and 25.5 per cent of Virgin Australia's. Cancellation rates southbound were 5.6 per cent for JQ, a surprisingly high 4.8 per cent for QF and 4.5 per cent for both TT and VA.
Northbound (MEL to SYD), 33.3 per cent of JQ's flights were more than 15 minutes late, while the same applied to 27 per cent of TT's, 22.6 per cent of QF's but a much lower 14.4 per cent for VA's offerings. Cancellation rates were 5.6 per cent for JQ, 4.9 and 4.7 per cent for respectively QF and VA and a far lower two per cent for TT, though the latter has the fewest flights.
Then high cancellation rates indicate what is euphemistically known as 'capacity management' but the rest of us might call it 'false advertising', although a few cancellations may have been weather related.
Nonetheless, airlines like QF and to a slightly lesser extent VA heavily promote 15 minute or half hourly flight frequencies on routes like SYD - MEL - SYD but then often do not deliver.
Compare this to a properly built and operated high speed rail network that based on the achievements of many nations would be a hell of a lot more reliable and punctual. Add to that the convenience of city centre to city centre one mode transport and the ability (unlike on planes) to get up and stretch one's legs and it's a no brainer. We can afford high speed rail as a nation, although the high costs imposed by the CFMEU make any engineering project in Australia challenging.
Northbound from SYD to BNE, 40.2 per cent of JQ's flights were more than 15 minutes late arriving in BNE.
From HBA to MEL, an astounding 53.2 per cent of JQ flights were similarly late although QF and VA's performance was nothing to write home about. TT excelled with only 9.8 per cent of its flights northbound on this route being more than 15 minutes late, although it only operated 32 flights for the month.
QantasLink's performance into SYD from NSW provincial cities including ABX/ARM/CFS/DBO/TMW and WGA was very poor with between 23 and 27 per cent of flights more than 15 minutes late. This unpunctuality was quite consistent for these routes and shows how late running on one can affect another, because the rosters tend not to limit the planes to just one route in country NSW. SYd - MRZ is not disclosed as QF lacks a competitor.
VA had a particular problem from NTL to MEL with 52.9 per cent of its 34 flights in October 2016 more than 15 minutes late.
Timekeeping on MEL - PER (admittedly a longer domestic route) was poor with no airline having fewer than 34 per cent of its flights more than 15 minutes late. VA was the worst with 43.2 per cent regarded as 'late.' In contrast, on the longer westbound SYD - PER route, TT managed to have 'only' 18.5 per cent of its flights more than a quarter of an hour late, hardly stellar but at least not plumbing VA's depths, the latter having 42.6 per cent in the tardy category.
On the BNK - SYD route, all three (JQ, VA and ZL) had between 70 and 75 per cent of flights arrive in SYD 15 minutes or less late. The worse for timekeeping BNK - MEL route (only operated by JQ) was not disclosed.
QantasLink has somewhat improved its performance on the previously very unpunctual HBA - MEL and HBA - SYD routes but it remains imperfect.
http://bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/files/BITRE_OTP_Report_October_2016.pdf
Across the Australia-wide domestic network, VA and its smaller 'regional' (sic) network were top of the pops but overall punctuality dropped compared with October 2015.
In October 2016 in the southbound (SYD - MEL) direction, 37 per cent of Jetstar flights were more than 15 minutes late arriving in MEL. The same was true for 30.8 per cent of Tigerair flights, 29.1 per cent of Qantas flights and 25.5 per cent of Virgin Australia's. Cancellation rates southbound were 5.6 per cent for JQ, a surprisingly high 4.8 per cent for QF and 4.5 per cent for both TT and VA.
Northbound (MEL to SYD), 33.3 per cent of JQ's flights were more than 15 minutes late, while the same applied to 27 per cent of TT's, 22.6 per cent of QF's but a much lower 14.4 per cent for VA's offerings. Cancellation rates were 5.6 per cent for JQ, 4.9 and 4.7 per cent for respectively QF and VA and a far lower two per cent for TT, though the latter has the fewest flights.
Then high cancellation rates indicate what is euphemistically known as 'capacity management' but the rest of us might call it 'false advertising', although a few cancellations may have been weather related.
Nonetheless, airlines like QF and to a slightly lesser extent VA heavily promote 15 minute or half hourly flight frequencies on routes like SYD - MEL - SYD but then often do not deliver.
Compare this to a properly built and operated high speed rail network that based on the achievements of many nations would be a hell of a lot more reliable and punctual. Add to that the convenience of city centre to city centre one mode transport and the ability (unlike on planes) to get up and stretch one's legs and it's a no brainer. We can afford high speed rail as a nation, although the high costs imposed by the CFMEU make any engineering project in Australia challenging.
Northbound from SYD to BNE, 40.2 per cent of JQ's flights were more than 15 minutes late arriving in BNE.
From HBA to MEL, an astounding 53.2 per cent of JQ flights were similarly late although QF and VA's performance was nothing to write home about. TT excelled with only 9.8 per cent of its flights northbound on this route being more than 15 minutes late, although it only operated 32 flights for the month.
QantasLink's performance into SYD from NSW provincial cities including ABX/ARM/CFS/DBO/TMW and WGA was very poor with between 23 and 27 per cent of flights more than 15 minutes late. This unpunctuality was quite consistent for these routes and shows how late running on one can affect another, because the rosters tend not to limit the planes to just one route in country NSW. SYd - MRZ is not disclosed as QF lacks a competitor.
VA had a particular problem from NTL to MEL with 52.9 per cent of its 34 flights in October 2016 more than 15 minutes late.
Timekeeping on MEL - PER (admittedly a longer domestic route) was poor with no airline having fewer than 34 per cent of its flights more than 15 minutes late. VA was the worst with 43.2 per cent regarded as 'late.' In contrast, on the longer westbound SYD - PER route, TT managed to have 'only' 18.5 per cent of its flights more than a quarter of an hour late, hardly stellar but at least not plumbing VA's depths, the latter having 42.6 per cent in the tardy category.
On the BNK - SYD route, all three (JQ, VA and ZL) had between 70 and 75 per cent of flights arrive in SYD 15 minutes or less late. The worse for timekeeping BNK - MEL route (only operated by JQ) was not disclosed.
QantasLink has somewhat improved its performance on the previously very unpunctual HBA - MEL and HBA - SYD routes but it remains imperfect.
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