QFi to QFd aircraft transfers (or vice versa)

[Melburnian1]

Like all companies, airlines want to avoid making losses and where possible, make as big a net profit as possible. The latter is also helpful to management receiving bonuses, depending on what short or long term incentive hurdles have been set by a Board or other entity or individual(s).

It's not in QF's interest for flights to run late.

Reasonably frequently, QF transfers aircraft from an inbound international flight to an Australian domestic one, or vice versa. This usually involves a change of terminal, which isn't instant.

It often results in delays that annoy passengers and as a side issue, cost the airline money.

For instance, on Thursday 4 December 2025, QF20 arrived from MNL at about 0633 hours, seven minutes early. The aircraft, A332 VH-EBC then formed domestic flight QF648, the 0815 hours SYD-PER that didn't take off until 0906 hours, arriving at 1040 hours, 35 minutes late.

Perhaps it's not possible due to the aircraft having to wait around too long for its next duty were that to be an international flight, but it'd be preferable if an international arrival formed an international departure with the same applying to domestic arrivals.

'The 648' was unlikely to be able to get away punctually. (There may have been other contributing factors: ATC staff shortages, slow loading of luggage in the hold, late connecting passengers...the list goes on).

 

[elanshin]

I would suspect that something else had gone wrong in the 330 network and that they had to have done some shuffling already for this to happen. Perhaps the original plane slated for the SYD - PER had gone tech, or some other plane did and they deemed this to be less impactful having to delay this flight.

It's hard to really have insight into exactly the situation unless you work in QF network ops and can see exactly the situation. Then again this is exactly what those roles entail and you'd like to think they are generally proficient at their jobs (or the software is).

 

[clifford]

Perhaps the original plane slated for the SYD - PER had gone tech,

FWIW, I did note there was a 330 in th hangar opposite the Bus Lounge this morning. Pure coincidence perhaps?

 

[moa999]

Might also be a function of earlier switches.
Think SYD-MNL-SYD is generally a 333 though often first to be swapped for a 332.
Can always take a while to tow across the active SYD runways.

Indeed I suspect this is probably why QF is probably supportive of SYD airports T2/T3 connector and I suspect QF/JQ would run NZ and South Pacific/ Bali narrowbodies out of there so they lessen towing to international.

 

[AuSammy]

Is there special cleaning of Int plane before a Dom sector?

Threading between ground traffic for a tow from Int to Dom in a busy period is maybe problematic