Qantas slugged with airport curfew

[Slats7]

Qantas slugged with airport curfew | Travel News | News.com.au

A QANTAS flight on final approach to Adelaide was diverted to Canberra because it would have landed minutes after the airport's 11pm curfew.
A passenger onboard last night's flight said the plane descended into Adelaide Airport at one minute past 11pm when the pilot was forced to divert, reports The Advertiser.

So why is this one of the top stories and why did the same thing happen to Virgin Blue but they don't get a headline??

 

[dajop]

More importantly why would they divert to CBR, some 200 miles further than MEL?

 

[medhead]

Qantas slugged with airport curfew | Travel News | News.com.au



So why is this one of the top stories and why did the same thing happen to Virgin Blue but they don't get a headline??

Because it is The Advertiser and it is an Adelaide thing why this is in there. There is an ongoing issue over the curfew here. But it is usually almost a story to the effect of how civilised Adelaide is, with no curfew's. Basically, about how live is good here and none of this modern stuff will be allowed to get in the way.

South Australian's truely are strange in some respects. Basically, it is more important to be nice and helpful that to worry about laws or smooth functioning or little things like that. Almost every day I'm confronted with some "nice" person who just stops their car and lets people in. Don't worry that it is peak hour on a main road and I've already waited 3 light changes. Don't worry that they actually want to get in the 2nd lane and the person in that lane hasn't stopped, just sit there and wait for someone to stop in the 2nd lane. Don't worry that the other car isn't even ready to move (say from a driveway).

But then they when they have to stop they have no awareness at all of not blocking intersections. Bane of my life.

I'm sure the Virgin flight would have been reported about as well in the Advertiser.

 

[docjames]

Before we journalist bash, can I say i'd be absolutely furious if i was on that flight.

I mean, seriously, 11:01pm. What a joke. Surely there's a leeway in such circumstances.

Frankly, the time has come that flights that suffer delays such as this can be excluded from curfew. This is as stupid as the curfew at SYD.

I might add, i've just bought a house that's under the approach path to BNE so it's not a case of NIMBY. Flights should not be allowed to be scheduled, but there should be a mandated last departure time from the airports all flights are coming from (allowing for average flight times). If the plane leaves withing that time, but encounters headwinds / diversion etc and is 10-15mins late, it should be allowed in. It stops the crazy diverts, but wont allow departure if the landing slot cant be met.

eg. Due in ADL by 11pm, say the flying time from SYD is 2h30 (i have no idea the actual flight time), the a/c should be allowed to leave SYD no later than 830pm (ADL time = 9pm SYD time). If it encounters headwinds and runs 10 mins late, no biggie. If it cant depart SYD by 830pm ADL time (9pm syd time), bad luck, it's there until the next day.

Of course, government airport regulations and common sense are mutually exclusive terms so there's no way.......:evil:

 

[BAM1748]

graduated landing fees perhaps?

 

[harvyk]

All I can think is the cerfews should be imposed on scheduled flights, so that a carrier is not permitted to schedule a flight in violation of a cerfew.

Should something out of the ordinary happen, eg weather conditions or problems with equipment the curfew should not apply. This applys to both taking off and landing.

As for NoNews, well we all know they are extremely biased against QF, the fact that something similar happened to DJ and yet wasn't reported is of no surprise.

 

[Dave Noble]

Before we journalist bash, can I say i'd be absolutely furious if i was on that flight.

I mean, seriously, 11:01pm. What a joke. Surely there's a leeway in such circumstances.

I disagree. At the moment it is a simple absolute 23:00 is the limit; the last thing that I think should be done is start making it 11:01 , 11:02 etc ... there will always be someone that misses whatever the limit is by 1 minute. Absolutes are good

Dave

 

[harvyk]

Dave Noble, as I said in my previous post, scheduling aircraft to push the curfew should not be on, but in the event that factors outside the airlines direct (and realistic) control which are one off's should be excussed from curfew.

 

[BAM1748]

I disagree. At the moment it is a simple absolute 23:00 is the limit; the last thing that I think should be done is start making it 11:01 , 11:02 etc ... there will always be someone that misses whatever the limit is by 1 minute. Absolutes are good

Dave

Absolutes are not good, they constrain innovative and lateral thought as well as dull decision making skills while at the same time reducing the ability of people to provide a service to customers.

Dave, do you work in local government?

Matt

 

[Dave Noble]

Absolutes are not good, they constrain innovative and lateral thought as well as dull decision making skills while at the same time reducing the ability of people to provide a service to customers.

Dave, do you work in local government?

The ability to provide a service is there ; arrive by 11pm and can land, no issues. Arrive after 11pm and go elsewhere

There are benefits of having an airport so close to the city plus there are drawbacks.

Starting to make it a 11pm and a bit would simply be the start of salami style erosion of the curfew and enforcement would become problematic

Why should liking well specified restrictions be classed as working in local government.

Dave

 

[medhead]

Before we journalist bash, can I say i'd be absolutely furious if i was on that flight.

I mean, seriously, 11:01pm. What a joke. Surely there's a leeway in such circumstances.

Yeah exactly, and that is how a feel most days in living in Adelaide. It absolutely represents their mentality here, about so many things that happen here, and it is sooooo frustrating!

As for NoNews, well we all know they are extremely biased against QF, the fact that something similar happened to DJ and yet wasn't reported is of no surprise.

You know it wasn't reported? Because I thought it was reported.

 

[auriga]

Before we journalist bash, can I say i'd be absolutely furious if i was on that flight.

Me too!:shock:

 

[docjames]

I'm sure you'd be fully in support of the hard and fast rule had you been on that flight Dave.

 

[Dave Noble]

I'm sure you'd be fully in support of the hard and fast rule had you been on that flight Dave.

Yes. My view on the rule isn't based on whether I am on a specific flight and would have been concerned about the flight given its departure time and not been surprised if it had been unable to land

I am surprised that they actually operated the flight given how close they would
be to hitting the curfew issue

Dave

 

[straitman]

Yes. My view on the rule isn't based on whether I am on a specific flight and would have been concerned about the flight given its departure time and not been surprised if it had been unable to land

I am surprised that they actually operated the flight given how close they would
be to hitting the curfew issue

Dave

Which is why a more realistic and practical limit should be looked at as per the post from karvyk.

All I can think is the cerfews should be imposed on scheduled flights, so that a carrier is not permitted to schedule a flight in violation of a cerfew.

Should something out of the ordinary happen, eg weather conditions or problems with equipment the curfew should not apply. This applys to both taking off and landing.

 

[Dave Noble]

Which is why a more realistic and practical limit should be looked at as per the post from karvyk.

Or simply, airline should take into account the curfew before setting off rather than giving the passengers scenic tours of Australia

As it currently stands , it is a simple system with little option for multiple interpretations

Dave

 

[markis10]

More importantly why would they divert to CBR, some 200 miles further than MEL?

Aircraft cannot nominate an alternate airport that has conditions that prevent a landing from being assured, so CBR may have been the closest airport in range with a guaranteed landing.

Aircraft Ops are a tricky business, no doubt QF decided that if there was a chance they could have an aircraft get to its nominated destination and not be a block in the system it was worth trying the gamble. Interestingly the original aircraft did get to Adelaide at 2AM Friday morning so it could operate the first flight of the day out, while a 734 had to be found to take the pax at 9AM, thats the stupid thing, because it had passengers on it could not land, three hours later as a ferry flight it did!

 

[FlyboyAl]

The really fun bit was watching the ABC news.
Behind the newsrader was a picture of an A380, and all the footage of aircrafdt on the ground was of 747 aircraft!!!!

And if I had been on the plane, I too would have been REALLY PI****D OFF

 

[Anna]

Even more stupid when you consider that the Adelaide curfew only applies to passenger planes.

Cargo planes can and frequently do land in Adelaide at 3am.

 

[serfty]

I know SYD has a curfew but does not deal in absolutes. There are provisions for unusual circumstances providing exemptions.

I'm sure ADL has similar; if so, then I guess weather delays are not generally considered "Unusual Circumstances".