Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

QF9's domestic MEL - PER sector is often punctual, but on Thursday 31 October, pushback was 44 late at 1734 meaning projected arrival at 1855, 65 minutes behind schedule. The second stage to LHR should depart at 2020 tonight, an hour late, with Friday 1 November 2019 arrival in LHR a suggested 0600 hours, 55 down.

 

[Silvia]

A windy afternoon in Melbourne has made QF625 BNE-MEL (B738 VH-XZB) divert to SYD.
QF453 SYD-MEL (A332 VH-EBG) arrived at 19 26, 51 min tardy as a result of lengthier flight time.
QF451 SYD-MEL (B738 VH-VZE) arrived to gate at 20 02, 72 min late.
QF455 SYD-MEL (B738 VH-VZB) had a delayed arrival at 20 17, 72 behind.
QF833 CBR-MEL (B738 VH-VXK) is now suggested to arrive at 20 56, 106 min late.
QF688 ADL-MEL (B738 VH-VYC) has a revised arrival at 20 35, 80 min tardy.
QF457 SYD-MEL (B738 VH-VXJ) is expected to arrive at 20 34, 74 min behind schedule.
QF627 BNE-MEL (B738 VH-VYH) has arrival to gate expected at 20 58, 88 late.
QF459 SYD-MEL (A332 VH-EBK) arrival is delayed to 21 00, 85 min behind.

There are plenty of other delays out of Melbourne as well.

 

[Melburnian1]

November kicks off with the first of the month seeing QF29, the 0940 hours MEL - HKG estimated to depart 75 late with arrival at 1715, 70 minutes behind schedule. QF30 was seven minutes early arriving in MEL at 0728 while QF80 (ex NRT) was nine late at 0804, with as Silvia advised yesterday, QF38 cancelled, so no obvious reason for the QF29 delay.

QF702, the 0900 hours MEL up to CNS has B738 VH-XZA, having taken off at 0953. Arrival should be at about 1157 hours, 37 late.

Northbound QF422 (the scheduled 1000 hours MEL up to SYD) was airborne at 1050 with B738 VH-VYA, so suggested arrival is 1159, 39 late.

Winds at MEL (NNW) are gusting to 43kmh so that may not assist today's timekeeping, as the airport looks to be on single runway ops.

QF516 (B738 VH-VXH) is the 1000 hours SYD - BNE that was in the sky at 1105 hours, so arrival should be 1116, 46 late.

QF2282 from LST to MEL has Q400 turboprop VH-QOP with suggested arrival 45 late at 1205 hours.

The lunchtime B744 from SYD to SCL, QF27 (the 1245 hours) is delayed to a predicted 1530 this afternoon with arrival suggested (same day) at 1325, 135 minutes late. This will delay QF28 significantly, but at least passengers in South America have many hours' notice. 'The 26' was early arriving in SYD while QF74 from SFO was only five minutes tardy, so also no standout reason for the QF27 delay.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with the many domestic delays late morning of Friday 1 November, QF610 (the 1110 hours MEL - BNE, B738 VH-VXR) was airborne at 1156 (about 35 late) so expected arrival has become 1252 hours, 32 behind.

It is reasonably rare to see an A333 on a MEL - SYD but VH-QPG is operating QF426, the 1100 hours that took off at 1211. Arrival is predicted for 1317, 52 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

In more on Friday 1 November 2019, QF418, the 0900 hours MEL - SYD was cancelled. So was QF612, the 1010 hours MEL - BNE and QF816, the 1015 hours MEL - CBR.

QF812, the 1325 hours MEL - CBR has also got the chop, as has QF2285, teh mid afternoon 1520 hours MEL down to LST.

The 1530 hours MEL - SYD (QF444) is another that has been rescinded. QF681 (1555 hours MEL - ADL) is also not running, and nor is QF626, the 1610 hours MEL - BNE.

QF474 (1815 hours MEL - SYD) has also been cancelled, as has QF464, the scheduled 1930 hours on the same route.

These cancellations may be to do with the blustery weather in MEL and consequent restriction to pone runway, but I wonder if any are due to the B738 shortage?

 

[Melburnian1]

MEL appears to still be on single runway (16/34) operations as at 1800 hours on Friday 1 November, meaning delays for many if not most flights.

QF450 (1630 hours afternoon MEL up to SYD) was in the sky at 1714 (about half an hour late) with B738 VH-XZP. Arrival should be shortly, at about 1824, 29 late.

QF756 is the 1530 hours ADL - SYD away at a remarkably similar in lateness terms 1616, VH-VYJ undertaking the task. Arrival is expected at 1830, 35 minutes behind the timetable.

The 1615 hours MEL - SYD (QF468,. VH-VXG) is worse, not airborne until 1720. At gate arrival should be 1838, 58 behind. QF448 on the same route, the 1645 hours has VHJ-VZW with it being up up and away at 1752, so arrival at its gate looks to be 1905, 55 minutes tardy. QF456 is the 1715 hours ex MEL that took off at 1808 for projected at gate arrival of 1922, 42 minutes later than the timetable states. VH-XZA has that task.

QF839, the longer distance DRW - MEL is the scheduled 1145 hours airborne at 1258 (about an hour behind). Arrival after holding slightly east of Bendigo should be at 1849 hours, 79 minutes tardy for VH-XZF.

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

QF126 AKL - BNE turns back, by the looks of it, and then it got cancelled.
I was not booked on this flight, mine is late in Dec this year.
No news anywhere as to why QF126 diverted back to AKL, and then cancelled.
Oh, it was today, 01Nov2019, supposed to dep 16.40.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Saturday 2 November 2019, MEL looks to be on single runway ops again, as it was yesterday. Saturday mornings are typically not as busy as weekdays, but Spring carnival racing creates some passenger demand. Many aircraft are holding on approach. It's rainy.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF1012 (2 November 2019, the 1010 hours midmorning HBA up to MEL, B738 VH-VZW( took off at 1055 so predicted arrival is 1207, 37 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Saturday 2 November, QF881, the 1240 hours lunchtime OOL - MEL (B738 VH-VYD) took off at 1307, about 15 late, but arrival is expected at 1622, 72 late. Adverse winds have not helped, and with the poor weather in Melbourne, single runway ops is still the situation.

Not far behind is QF797, the 1140 hours ASP - MEL up up and away at 1227 hours with VH-VZJ. At gate arrival looks to be 1631 hours, 41 minutes tardy.

Northbound QF442, the mid afternoon 1500 hours MEL - SYD (VH-XZB) was airborne at 1611 so arrival is predicted for 1718 hours, 53 behind.

QF703 had to hold above Elmore so this 1200 'high noon' CNS - MEL (VH-VXI) should arrive at 1655, half an hour behind time.

The late running is not uniform: some flights are less than 15 minutes late, but for a Saturday afternoon, traditionally the quietest time of the week, it's a fair dose of unpunctuality.

 

[Silvia]

In further today, QF791 ASP-SYD (B738 VH-VZR) has a suggested arrival at 17 27, 62 min behind.
QF28 SCL-SYD (B744 VH-OEG) has a revised arrival at 20 17, 147 min tardy. This will make it pretty tight for passengers onto other domestic connections.

 

[Melburnian1]

Earlier on Saturday 2 November, QF7, the long flight from SYD to DFW with an A388 was cancelled. This is because the Thursday 31 October 2045 hours DFW to SYD QF8 was also cancelled.

Yesterday, the 1340 hours SYD - DFW departed at 1502, arriving same day (Friday) at 1355, an hour late.

Flagship QF1 on Saturday pushed back 69 late at 1809 hours so predicted SIN arrival has become 2333 late tonight local time, 88 late, meaning likely LHR Sunday 3 at gate arrival of 0715 or later, at least an hour late.

 

[Melburnian1]

QF25 is usually punctual but on 2 November, it pushed back in SYD at 2237 (62 late) with HND arrival on Sunday 3 likely at 0601, 61 behind.

 

[Melburnian1]

A333 VH-QPJ on QF79, the 0920 hours MEL - NRT departed at 1003, promptly becoming airborne at 1013 hours. Arrival should be 1821, 41 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Later on Sunday 3 November, QF468 (1615 hours MEL - SYD) is cancelled. So is QF460, the 1830 hours.

Earlier, QF93, the midmorning 1040 hours MEL - LAX departed at 1116. Expected same day arrival is 0634, 34 late.

QF431, 1200 'high noon' SYD - MEL (B738 VH-VYC) took off at 1301 so delayed arrival is 1416, 41 tardy. The aircraft had arrived on the ex-MEL QF422 at 1244, 19 late but took longer on the ground than ought be the case.

 

[Melburnian1]

Far later on 3 November, QF494 (2100 hours MEL - SYD last of the evening) did not take off until 2153 so B738 VH-VZH will not be landing until 2256 hours, only four minutes before curfew. Arrival should be 36 late at 2301 hours.

Southbound QF491 on the same (reverse) route has VH-VXE with suggested arrival 2244, 39 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with 4 November, QF19 (1225 hours lunchtime SYD - MNL) pushed back at 1252 with suggested arrival 36 down at 1806, meaning a slight delay to QF20 southbound (that often on a gate-to-gate basis picks up time).

 

[Melburnian1]

The B744 (VH-OEI) on Tuesday 5 November's QF27 (1245 hours SYD - SCL) did not push back until 1425, so same day arrival should be 1210, an hour behind. This will delay the 1335 hours SCL - SYD (QF28) by a predicted 35 minutes in pushback with Wednesday 6 arrival in SYD at 1820, half an hour late.

The aircraft arrived in SYD this morning at 0611, only six minutes tardy on QF74 ex SFO so goodness knows why it failed to depart SYD on time.

Another B744 (QF63, the scheduled 1135 hours SYD - JNB, VH-OEG) was worse, pushing back at 1523 hours so same day arrival in local time for South Africa has become a suggested 1925, 170 late - meaning on a gate-to-gate basis 58 minutes of the departure delay is predicted to be picked up. 'The 64' tonight is estimated to depart JNB at 2105 hours, 135 late, arriving at its gate in SYD on Wednesday 6 at 1745 hours, 130 minutes behind the timetable. At this stage the B744 is to form tomorrow mid evening's QF25 to HND (the 2135 hours from SYD) so barring a further significant delay, it should be able to punctually depart - touch wood.

OEG arrived SYD this morning 24 minutes early at 0911 on QF26 ex HND, so again, no standout reason for the extended delay to 'the 63.'

The six remaining B744 QF aircraft are hardly super old, with the most 'ancient' having just celebrated its 17th birthday (OEF, not OEE as one might expect). Given they don't have a long term future with the airline, are these few B744s (conversant with safety as the priority) on as close as possible to a 'minimum maintenance' regime, or are some parts becoming harder to source, resulting in delays to passengers? Or are there fewer qualified staff to operate these Queens of the Skies, hence making it hard to source a replacement staffer quickly if one rings in sick?

 

[Melburnian1]

On Wednesday 6 November 2019, QF133 (0720 hours morning MEL - CHC, B738 VH-VZX) according to the QF website departed at 0722 hours, but at 0822 was still on the ground in MEL. It may have returned to its aerobridge.

UPDATE: At about 0827, the QF website altered to show a revised departure time of 0835. Strange that it kept the '0722' as pushback time for so long. Expected CHC arrival is 80 late at 1400 hours. QF132 from CHC to MEL is expected to push back at 1445 hours with a 1645 hours arrival in MEL late this afternoon, 65 late.

FURTHER UPDATE: The flight departed at 0904, 104 late. Arrival remains predicted for 1400 hours in CHC.

 

[Melburnian1]

...(QF63, the scheduled 1135 hours SYD - JNB, VH-OEG) was worse, pushing back at 1523 hours so same day arrival in local time for South Africa has become a suggested 1925, 170 late - meaning on a gate-to-gate basis 58 minutes of the departure delay is predicted to be picked up. 'The 64' tonight is estimated to depart JNB at 2105 hours, 135 late, arriving at its gate in SYD on Wednesday 6 at 1745 hours, 130 minutes behind the timetable. At this stage the B744 is to form tomorrow mid evening's QF25 to HND (the 2135 hours from SYD) so barring a further significant delay, it should be able to punctually depart - touch wood.

QF63 arrived within a minute of the prediction at JNB last night at 1924 hours, 169 minutes late. For JNB, it took an unusually long time to turn around, pushing back as QF64 at 2207 hours, 197 late but Wednesday 6 arrival in SYD should be at 1816, trimming the deficit to 161 minutes. It is still forming QF25.