Qantas Delays/Cancellations

Also on 26 January, QF37, the 1720 hours MEL - SIN has been delayed to 1950, meaning arrival at 0050 on Monday 27, 155 minutes behind schedule. This will delay QF38, the redeye back down to MEL.
 
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Also on 26 January, QF37, the 1720 hours MEL - SIN has been delayed to 1950, meaning arrival at 0050 on Monday 27, 155 minutes behind schedule. This will delay QF38, the redeye back down to MEL.
Actually departed 1736 according to FlightRadar24. Channel 7 news reported it circling Port Phillip Bay before returning to Tullamarine - apparently problem with landing gear.....
qf37.jpg
 
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coriander, my apologies for not picking that up. Fast of Channel 7 news to report it! Shows why sometimes relying on one source (in this case the Qantas online site) may occasionally give one a misleading picture. Einstein comment at bottom relevant to me in this instance.

Hmmm, if a problem with landing gear, will QF substitute another A332? Or if not, how do they know exactly how long it takes to fix?

UPDATE: See below for an AFF aviator's comments that the reason Channel 7 gave was likely to be incorrect (which he then retracted as more information including a photo came to hand.)
 
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coriander, my apologies for not picking that up. Fast of Channel 7 news to report it! Shows why sometimes relying on one source (in this case the Qantas online site) may occasionally give one a misleading picture. Einstein comment at bottom relevant to me in this instance.

Hmmm, if a problem with landing gear, will QF substitute another A332? Or if not, how do they know exactly how long it takes to fix?
Like anything, I reckon they will first work out what is wrong and then go from there.
 
Actually departed 1736 according to FlightRadar24. Channel 7 news reported it circling Port Phillip Bay before returning to Tullamarine - apparently problem with landing gear.....
Like anything, I reckon they will first work out what is wrong and then go from there.
QF37 has now been cancelled on Sunday 26 ex MEL, so QF38 ex SIN will be as well.
 
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A332 VH-EBS was the aircraft with defective landing gear on what became the cancelled QF37 on Australia Day 2020. This was to be its third consecutive night on QF37.

UPDATE: See an AFF aviator's comments below initilally suggesting that this Channel 7 explanation did not accurately describe the cause, but then further information via pprune.org came to hand.
 
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Because fuel on board already at maximum?

Looking at a recent flight, the fuel load was about 1.4 tonnes below the max possible. Margin to MTOW was almost 7 tonnes.

But, the pax loading was only in the order of 165. So, you’d have no trouble with extra passengers from the weigh perspective, but you could only handle a little over a tonne of extra burn. So, that would equate to 15 to 20 extra passengers at best. That would mean you’d need to keep at least 50-60 seats empty.
 
Also on 26 January, QF37, the 1720 hours MEL - SIN has been delayed to 1950, meaning arrival at 0050 on Monday 27, 155 minutes behind schedule. This will delay QF38, the redeye back down to MEL.

I have received notifications that my flight QF38 (27/1/2020 STD 2340 hrs) has been re-scheduled to depart at 0450 hrs on 28/1/2020. Don't know why such a long delay if they use another plane for QF37 & QF38. Called the customer service, reason given was mechanical issues.
 
I have received notifications that my flight QF38 (27/1/2020 STD 2340 hrs) has been re-scheduled to depart at 0450 hrs on 28/1/2020. Don't know why such a long delay if they use another plane for QF37 & QF38. Called the customer service, reason given was mechanical issues.

Since the Monday 27 January QF37 is predicted to depart MEL at 2245 late (tonight), 325 minutes late and arrive SIN at 0335 (awful!), 320 late on Tuesday 28, I'm guessing that QFi is unable to find a 'replacement' plane until late at night for the A332 above that failed on 26 January due to alleged landing gear (though an AFF aviator initially said more likely to be 'systems associated with these such as hydraulics', but on receipt of further information retracted this) problems, as noted above. Your revised arrival in MEL tomorrow afternoon is 1515 hours, 305 late.

Departing at 0450 instead of 2345 is the classic 'worst' delay type because it's not just in the middle of the night, but too short for any hotel stay (even were it to be offered) to be useful. Who among passengers wants to rise at 0130 if one can avoid it?

27 January's QF29 is predicted to push back in MEL an hour late at 1035, with arrival in the afternoon at 1700 hours, 55 down. QF30 arrived 24 minutes early in MEL at 0711 hours and looks to be forming ';the 29' so not sure why the delay.
 
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coriander, my apologies for not picking that up. Fast of Channel 7 news to report it! Shows why sometimes relying on one source (in this case the Qantas online site) may occasionally give one a misleading picture. Einstein comment at bottom relevant to me in this instance.

The FR24 trace is unusual if the aircraft had a gear problem. The TAS shown is 250 knots for most of the time. That’s very fast if you have something hanging in the breeze, and would be quite noisy. For any sort of gear issue, just leave some flap out, and fly at about 180 knots. Otherwise you can’t hear yourself think. 250 is also most likely the gear’s maximum speed, so again no reason to be there. The upshot is that it doesn’t look like a gear issue to me.

Hmmm, if a problem with landing gear, will QF substitute another A332? Or if not, how do they know exactly how long it takes to fix?

Substitute....that means you have an A330 just sitting around, and that’s pretty unlikely.

How long to fix? Engineers have special form of time that’s all their own (though my wife says that I use it too). Everything takes an hour, but that can be any duration.


A332 VH-EBS was the aircraft with defective landing gear .....

It’s extremely unlikely that the landing gear is defective. Otherwise the engines drag on the ground, and it’s really hard to take off. Systems that relate to the landing gear are much more likely. That means things like hydraulics....

I have received notifications that my flight QF38 (27/1/2020 STD 2340 hrs) has been re-scheduled to depart at 0450 hrs on 28/1/2020. Don't know why such a long delay if they use another plane for QF37 & QF38. Called the customer service, reason given was mechanical issues.

What other plane would that be? I guess you’re now well aware that there was no such replacement. A330s (like everything else) simply aren’t sitting around waiting for something to do.
 
An update...
There is a picture of the aircraft on a pprune thread.

The gear is extended, and the gear doors are closed. The flaps and slats are retracted. Without knowing the 330 system all that well, the implication to me would be that the hydraulics are ok. I guess that if you’re going to have a gear problem, stuck down is the best variety.

There’s a comment to the effect that this model of 330 doesn’t have the ability to dump fuel, so there’s your reason for flying fast, even with the gear extended. Much more drag, so you’re burning the fuel instead of dumping it.
 
Don't know why such a long delay if they use another plane

The airline has 11 A380.
Every one of them were on other scheduled passenger flights.
In order to have an A380 ready to go at DFW would require a spare to be just sitting there at the airport. Alternatively call in one from elsewhere. That would mean cancelling one of the other flight.

How does the airline know at which airport an A380 is going to need repairs?.
These are the airports:
SYD,MEL,LAX,DFW,SIN,HKG,LHR.
Note that there are return flights for all of these airports.
If there 1 spare A380, at which airport should that A380 be sitting?.
 
In more Monday 27 January delays, QF81, the 1125 hours SYD - SIN is expected to depart at 1500 mid afternoon, with at gate arrival in Lion City at 2025 mid evening, 220 minutes behind the timetable. If it forms QF82, the 2030 hours ex SIN back down overnight to SYD, the latter will be delayed until about 2140 in its pushback. Often the QFi software does not show delays to the next flight until the one that forms it is at cruise, and that's almost three hours off as I write.

UPDATE: 'The 81' was off blocks at 1511 with further altered estimated SIN at arrival of 2006 hours, 201 minutes behind schedule.
 
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Tuesday 28 January finds QF2202, the scheduled 0630 hours morning ABX up to SYD taking off at 0749 with Q400 VH-QOY. Arrival is likely at 0854, 74 late. The BOM isn't indicating that there was fog this morning in Albury/Wodonga, but on Monday night, QF2217 (1905 hours SYD down to ABX) did not become airborne until 2104, arriving in the Border City at 2205 hours, 105 minutes late, so the need for creww to have minimum mandated rest looks to be the delay reason. This Q400 had been punctual yesterday until mid afternoon but was then on a SYD up to CFS trip, QF2116/2117 that took off from the mainland Harbour City about 90 minutes late at 1729 hours.

QF82 is arriving in SYD(ex SIN) on Tuesday at about 0842, 67 minutes late.
 
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Also on 28 January, with yesterday's QF37 not arriving in SIN until 0333 hours on Tuesday 28 (318 late), QF38, the normally scheduled 2340 hours Monday evening redeye SIN - MEL could not push back until 0448, so afternoon predicted arrival is 1529, 319 minutes behind schedule. After A332 VH-EBS had to land back in MEL (see above) yesterday, VH-EBJ was requisitioned. It arrived four minutes early on QF158 at 2121 hours mid evening from AKL, so had a pretty quick turnaround in Melbourne.

It looks like EBJ is again undertaking QF37 at 1720 this afternoon, so an intensive amended roster.
 
Later on 28 January 2020, QF1 departed SYD at 2008, 188 minutes behind its 1700 hours schedule, becoming airborne quickly at 2022, a fair bit faster than usual for this large aircraft. The SIN stop should be from 0049 to 0200 on Wednesday 29 (125 late) with arrival in LHR at about 0825, 130 late. Based on observations, the length of stop shown for SIN may be somewhat optimistic.

VH-OQI had been in Sydney since this morning at 0813 hours with a 22 minute ahead of timetable arrival as QF12 from LAX, so not sure why the delay tonight. It isn't unusual for QF1 to have a half hour to hour long delay, but three hours is less common.

A388 VH-OQD on QF8 departed DFW at 0045 hours on Monday 27 (360 late) with SYD Wednesday arrival expected at 1046, 281 late. Yet it had arrived in DFW on 'the 7' at 1309 hours, only 14 minutes late. VH-OQJ had however been several hours late the previous day, arriving at the DFW gate at 2020 hours rather than the timetabled 1255 hours, so the flight crew must not have had minimum stipulated rest in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Earlier, QF35, the lunchtime MEL - SIN A388 due off blocks at 1210 took until 1526 mid afternoon for this to occur. Arrival is suggested as 1955 hours, 170 minutes tardy. Aircraft A388 VH-OQC had arrived from LAX on QF94 at 1126 hours, 96 minutes late. In theory it should have been able to depart at about 1310 hours if it had achieved the minimum turnaround time.

In consequence, QF36 is forecast to depart SIN tonight mid evening at 2145, 125 late for Wednesday arrival at 0810, 130 late. QFi hasn't publicly allocated the gate numbers for QF93 and QF35 but usual practice for 'the 36' is to form QF93, the 1040 hours MEL to LAX. Even though QF36 will be tardy, it should still (in theory) have sufficient time to punctually depart as QF93, but QFi isn't always able to 'reverse' these aircraft quikly. Any further delay between QF35 and QF36 tonight in SIN won't be helpful to 'the 93' passengers booked tomorrow morning ex MEL.

QF43 (A332 VH-EBV), the Tuesday 1650 hours afternoon SYD - DPS pushed back 80 late, so tonight's arrival in the holiday haven has become 2050 as an estimate, 50 late.

The AKL - BNE QF126 (B789 VH-ZNC) arrived 68 late at 1818 hours.

VH-VZT (B738) on QF582, the 1350 hours from PER to SYD up up and away at 1432 hours should be at its arrival gate at about 2132, 32 late. In the opposite direction, A332 VH-EBG on QF571, the 1740 hours in the air at 2101 is worse, as its aerobridge arrival should be 2235 hours, three hours late. EBG must be substituting for another A332, as it arrived in SYD on QF146 (ex AKL) at 1855, an hour late. It is not normal for an aircraft timetabled to arrive at 1800 to form a scheduled 1740 hours pushback.

The 1855 hours CBR - PER (a route on which the QF Group now has a monopoly since VA withdrew, meaning fares are likely to have risen) took off at 1944 hours so B738 VH-VXD should arrive at 2107 mid evening, 37 behind.

QF9, also a 1650 hours departure but from down south in MEL is unusually delayed until a predicted 2115 hours mid evening (265 minutes late.) The PER intermediate stop should be 2205 to 2330 with Wednesday LHR arrival 0920 hours, 255 minutes behind the timetable. FR24 implies that B789 VH-ZNI was to operate this flight: it has been in MEL since arrival on 28 January early morning (0655 hours, 10 minutes late) as QF50 ex SFO.

VH-ZNA has also been in MEL all day while ZNF arrived only a minute late at 2026 hours this evening on QF10 ex PER and prior to that LHR.

The overnight QF12 departed LAX at 2315 (45 late) on Monday 27 with Wednesday 29 SYD arrival forecast as 0914 hours, 39 late.
 
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Tuesday 28 January's QF9 departed MEL a little earlier than expected, at 2059, but this was still 249 minutes late. PER arrival is showing as a predicted 2145 hours, 235 behind the timetable. As suggested two posts above, B789 VH-ZNI is the aircraft.

The delayed QF35 (VH-OQC) is arriving SIN at approximately 1940 hours, 155 minutes late, 10 minutesearlier than QFi had forecast (refer above.)
 
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QF401, first of the morning at a scheduled 0600 hours from SYD down to MEL departed unusually late at 0730, arriving the southern capital at 0900 hours, 85 minutes tardy.

QF419 on the same route is not as bad, but this 0900 hours pushed back half an hour late so arrival at 1105 should have identical lateness.

The 0900 hours nicely timed for tourists QF946 from SYD to CNS (A332 VH-EBE) took off at 0946. Predicted at gate arrival is half an hour behind at 1135 hours.

QF416 (VH-VXS, the 0830 hours MEL - SYD in the sky at 0954) will not arrive at its gate until 1105, 70 minutes past what the timetable states.

The 0630 hours MCY down to SYD, QF1549, has also had a late start to its day, with B717 VH-YQW taking off at 0813 hours. Expected at gate arrival has become 1036, 81 late.
 
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Later on 29 January 2020, QF424 (B738 VH-VZR, the airborne at 1119 hours scheduled 1030 hours MEL up to SYD) should have an at gate arrival of 1228 hours, 33 late.

QF485 was airborne in MEL at 1035 hours with the very welcome A333 VH-QPF. This is the 0935 hours scheduled departure for PER, where delayed arrival should be at 1119 hours, 39 minutes behind. QFd may be using the A333 in between other flights as QF71 (the first of the two PER - SIN offerings) is mostly an A332, and in any case has a scheduled departure from PER at 1220 hours. Perhaps '485 is forming '71', but the late running doesn't give it much time in PER if that's teh case.
 
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