Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Thursday 30 July, QF67 (A332 VH_EBR) took off from SYD at 1030 hours with likely at gate arrival becoming 54 minutes late in BLR at 1729 hours.

QF81 (1020 hours SYD-SIN, A333 VH-QPC) was airborne at 1114 hours so arrival should be about 1742 hours late this afternoon Singapore time, 47 late.

On Wednesday 29, QF5 from PER to Italy's FCO (the 1935 hours) was in the sky at 2139 so Thursday 30 arrival looks to be 0737 hours, 82 minutes late for B789 VH-ZNK.

Yesterday's QF1 was late into SIN (see above) with the flight airborne from there at 0230 hours, so arrival on Thursday at LHR with A388 VH-OQI should be around 0854, 139 minutes behind the timetable.

 

[mbe1510]

Looks like the delayed QF3 (VH-ZNM) is taxing for take-off in Detroit to New York.

That aircraft was due to operate my QF81 on Saturday to Singapore. We've been moved to an A330-300 instead. Feel for the pax in premium economy who will be downgraded.

Also reduces my upgrade changes haha

 

[Melburnian1]

On Thursday 30 July, Q400 VH-QOF operated SYD-BNK-SYD normally as flights QF2035 and QF2038, arriving back in Sydney at 1241 hours, 19 minutes early.

It then formed QF2028, the morning 0850 hours SYD across to western DBO that took off in the early afternoon at 1334, arriving at 1418 hours, 263 minutes late. The return trip (QF2039) arrived in SYD at 1544 hours, 254 late. Although it had a very decent allowance on the ground for its next offering, the scheduled 1730 hours QF2182 to northwestern MRZ (Moree), this did not take off until 1818 hours, with arrival suggested as 1944 tonight, 49 minutes behind the timetable.

Far worse was QF2223, the late morning timetabled 1125 hours SYD-WGA airborne tonight at 1838 with another Q400, VH-84N with arrival forecast for 1919 hours tonight, 399 minutes late. This turboprop has been running late all day, with its initial flight (QF1422, the 0705 short hop from CBR to SYD) taking off at 0813 and arriving at 0918 hours, 63 late. Its 0825 hours SYD-ABX on the NSW/Victorian boder did not take off until 1526 this afternoon, arriving at 1624, 396 minutes late.

I assume fog has been the reason. It can be a gamble using these flights to/from inland destinations in NSW during winter: today, using NSW TrainLink's XPTs would have been quicker to Albury, and almost as quick to Dubbo despite the slow rail alignment over the Blue Mountains and especially between Lithgow and Orange.

I always wonder how many travellers with same day international connections use the first morning flight from a NSW rural city or town into Sydney, because if the last flight the previous night is badly late, even if there's not fog the next morning a service can still be delayed due to the need of airline crew to have 10 hours off duty overnight. Let's hope not too many miss their international flight.

 

[Melburnian1]

Another example of Q400 turboprop delays on Thursday 30 July was QF2220, the scheduled early morning 0630 hours WGA-SYD not in the sky until 1103 with VH-84A. It arrived SYD at 1154 hours, 254 minutes late.