QF1564, the 0705 hours MEL - NTL (B717 VH-NXK) on Monday 11 April 2021 did not take off until 1022, arriving at 1139 hours, 189 minutes late. The aircraft had earlier run QF1565 (ex NTL) that arrived MEL four minutes early at 0856 hours, so it appears another aircraft must have failed.
This has delayed QF1777, the scheduled 0910 hours NTL up to BNE, in the sky at 1226 hours for a suggested 1331 hours arrival, 186 late.
QF1541 (B717 VH-NXM) was the 0830 hours MEL down to LST, airborne at 0931 for a 58 minutes late, 1033 hours, arrival in LST. On the return, QF1542 arrived back in MEL at 1214, 54 behind.
VH-YQU, another B717 was initially this morning on QF1512 from MEL to CBR, arriving six minutes ahead at 0804, but the next journey as QF1561 from CBR down to HBAsaw this 0900 hours timetabled flight in the sky at 0947 for arrival at 1119, 44 minutes tardy. That delayed QF1560 (HBA back to CBR) that was in the sky at 1209 for suggested arrival at 1321 hours, 36 minutes behind the timetable.
The sample size is insufficient but one is starting to see a few instances of B717s running badly late for reasons that may be unrelated to weather, despite fewer overall flights across all the airlines than say two years ago.
A few years ago when Cobham operated the Tasmanian flights for QFd, timekeeping was pathetic between HBA-MEL and return in particular.
If history repeats itself, it'll be a concern for Tasweigans scheduling day trips to say Melbourne for appointments, or Melburnians doing that in reverse, and for those connecting (if we're ever allowed beyond NZ out of Oz) to and from international flights.
QF2051 (0835 hours MEL down to HBA) took off at 0945, arriving at 1108, 78 late.