Qantas Delays/Cancellations

[tomlee1986]

On Monday 7 September, A333 VH-QPG arrived ex HKG as QF30 in MEL at 0655 hours, 25 minutes early.

However its next flight, 0935 hours MEL-NRT (QF79) is expected to depart an hour late.

Some fault may have been developed during the QF30 from HKG - and these aircraft aren’t exactly young anymore

Also according to FR24, now pushed back to 1100 departure

 

[LionKing]

This is the child of the old Krakatoa. It's still a very very large eruption. Ash clouds were seen rising well past the stratosphere (well beyond what planes fly at).

Any bigger and we may have had a major disaster on our hands.

Seems CGK will be an unknown airport for the next day or two still whether it can fully function. A lot will be due to winds as no sane airline will fly through volcanic ash anymore.

Is there alternative airports around CGK that is still open?
Perhaps passengers can catch a high speed train somewhere and change for planes?

 

[elanshin]

Is there alternative airports around CGK that is still open?
Perhaps passengers can catch a high speed train somewhere and change for planes?

It's not just CGK that's closed, all nearby airports are closed it seems. CGK just happens to be the major airport.

I don't think you quite understand... Its a no fly zone in the area unless you want your plane falling out of the sky (and thats not an exaggeration see BA9, SQ21, KLM847 stories from the 80s) . Until the volcanic ash is safely dissipated, nobody is risking flying in the area basically.

 

[LionKing]

It's not just CGK that's closed, all nearby airports are closed it seems. CGK just happens to be the major airport.

I don't think you quite understand... Its a no fly zone in the area unless you want your plane falling out of the sky (and thats not an exaggeration see BA9, SQ21, KLM847 stories from the 80s) . Until the volcanic ash is safely dissipated, nobody is risking flying in the area basically.

I do understand, however I was thinking whether there's like a sea or road option to divert passengers away from the affected area then fly out of Indonesia? Or else many will be stranded?

 

[Melburnian1]

I do understand, however I was thinking whether there's like a sea or road option to divert passengers away from the affected area then fly out of Indonesia? Or else many will be stranded?

Indonesia has one shortish high speed railway, from Jakarta to Bandung. I travelled by rail on the so-called 'classic' route prior to it commencing.

There are also normal trains all the way to Surabaya, with this airport having some international flights to Asian destinations as well as Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

DPS airport is the obvious other alternative, but flights to and from it tend to be heavily booked.

 

[LionKing]

Indonesia has one shortish high speed railway, from Jakarta to Bandung. I travelled by rail on the so-called 'classic' route prior to it commencing.

There are also normal trains all the way to Surabaya, with this airport having some international flights to Asian destinations as well as Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

DPS airport is the obvious other alternative, but flights to and from it tend to be heavily booked.

I think that's what I meant. I was thinking Surabaya would be an easy way out.

 

[tomlee1986]

QF79 on QPG finally took off @ 1114 and arrive at 1959 - 1 hr late

@Melburnian1

 

[LionKing]

QF79 on QPG finally took off @ 1114 and arrive at 1959 - 1 hr late

@Melburnian1

I believe with CGK currently closed, there should be slacks for Qantas to operate A333s more efficiently these few days to boost on time performance.

 

[tomlee1986]

I believe with CGK currently closed, there should be slacks for Qantas to operate A333s more efficiently these few days to boost on time performance.

Hope it’s true for the sake of passengers involved

 

[Melburnian1]

I believe with CGK currently closed, there should be slacks for Qantas to operate A333s more efficiently these few days to boost on time performance.

A minor correction: almost every day when operating, QF41/42 and QF39/40 are A332s, not A333s.

In yet more on Monday 7 September, the 1200 'high noon' SYD-DFW QF7 (A388 VH-OQK) wasn't in the sky until 1354. Same day gate arrival should be about 1348 hours, 78 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

In what may be the first time it's operated like this, probably due to the volcano eruption(s) in the strait between Java and Sumatra, Indonesia, QF10 has been replaced by a new flight number QF220.

B789 VH-ZNJ on this Sunday 6 September 1155 hours ex LHR took off at 1217 and is routed via SIN, where it was due to arrive at 0830 hours on Monday 7, but did so 59 minutes early at 0731. This became a scheduled 1000 hours SIN-PER after a famous @Qucikstatus 'splash and dash' with takeoff on time (or earlier than timetabled) at 1012 hours. Anticipated PER gate arrival becomes 25 minutes late at 1525 mid afternoon WAST.

Given the days of being allowed to remain on board at intermediate stops seem to be over, or very rare, would passengers have been required to alight at SIN and then be security checked at the gate before they again boarded?

At a guess, once the volcanic ash is no longer deemed a hazard, what is a costly diversion for QFi will cease. While it's occurring, would QFi have to fly in a new cabin and flight deck crew to operate the second sector, or just use the crew off QF219 that's an unbalanced working (i.e. until now, only the northwest bound flight QF219 operated via Singapore: the southbound QF10 was nonstop.)