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 @Quickstatus 'splash and dash' with takeoff on time (or earlier than timetabled) at 1012 hours. Anticipated PER gate arrival becomes 25 minutes late at 1525 WAST mid afternoon.

Given the days of being allowed to remain on board at intermediate stops seem over, or rare, were passengers required to alight at SIN and then be security checked at the gate before again boarding?

At a guess, once the volcanic ash is no longer deemed a hazard, what is a costly diversion for QFi will cease. While 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.)

 

[Melburnian1]

While not a cancellation, on Monday 7 September B789 VH-ZNL is operating what was QF5 (1405 hours SYD-PER-FCO) rebadged as QF205.

This suggests it may make an intermediate stop in (Singapore?) on the way to Italy.

Is this due to the volcanic activity in Indonesia, necessitating a longer than usual flight route?

 

[tomlee1986]

While not a cancellation, on Monday 7 September B789 VH-ZNL is operating what was QF5 (1405 hours SYD-PER-FCO) rebadged as QF205.

This suggests it may make an intermediate stop in (Singapore?) on the way to Italy.

Is this due to the volcanic activity in Indonesia, necessitating a longer than usual flight route?

a diversion like this is likely to cause a delay of some sort - hope the passengers will get to Rome with not too much of a delay in this flight

 

[cwflyer]

Qantas also cancelled the QF255 SYD/CDG today, where did that 789 end up?

 

[Melburnian1]

On Tuesday 8 September, QF7,, the 1200 'high noon' SYD-DFW is not expected to depart until 1710 hours in the late afternoon. This seems optimistic.

Aircraft is supposedly A388 VH-OQD that's arriving in SYD at 1514 mid afternoon as QF64 from JNB. This suggests another A380 has failed, as it's not normal for a 1455 hours scheduled arrival to form a 1200 timetabled departure.

Monday 7's 1750 hours SYD-LAX QF11 (VH-OQG) took off at 2014 with same day arrival at 1638 hours, 128 minutes late.

On Tuesday 8, QF185 from BNE down to ZQN (the 1005 hours with B738 VH-VZH) was in the sky at 1049, so gate arrival becomes a likely 1617 hours, 42 minutes late.

A333 VH-QPC is on 'the 23', the 0950 hours longstanding SYD up to BKK. It took off at 1031 so gate arrival looks like 31 late at 1711 hours.

VH-XZB, a sister plane, is operating QF183 from BNE to NLK, the 1135 hours in the sky at 1216 for forecast arrival at about 1510, half an hour behind the timetable.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with Tuesday 8 September 2026, QF43, the afternoon 1620 hours SYD up to DPS (A332 VH-EBB) took off at 1715. gate arrival is forecast as 38 minutes late at 2128 hours mid evening Balinese time.

Updating a previous post, QF7 (A388 VH_OQD), the 1200 'high noon' SYD-DFW has been further delayed with pushback expected at 1730 hours. At 1735, it wasn't 'live' on the FR24 site. Occasionally this can be affected by buildings though.

In the last seven days (including today), it's been cancelled once, and significantly late three times. Not a good record.