Regional Express Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

ZL422 from SYD to NTL this morning (Wed 29 July 2015) has just taken off from SYD at 0959 - it is meant to depart at 0910.

While some passengers have luggage and will have connected from other flights, for all but the most time sensitive it would be better to travel by train and enjoy the magnificent scenery between Hornsby and Gosford, especially given that there are hourly departures from Central. Such a short hop must be costly for Rex to operate.

 

[PlutekPlutek]

ZL422 from SYD to NTL this morning (Wed 29 July 2015) has just taken off from SYD at 0959 - it is meant to depart at 0910.

While some passengers have luggage and will have connected from other flights, for all but the most time sensitive it would be better to travel by train and enjoy the magnificent scenery between Hornsby and Gosford, especially given that there are hourly departures from Central. Such a short hop must be costly for Rex to operate.

Would tend to agree. Living in NTL I have caught Rex a few times and there's never been more than 5-10 passengers. The plane was virtually empty. Last resort as usually more convenient to connect via BNE or MEL. Connecting international is a pain, schedules not often convenient. I am flying to AUH today and ended will be taking the train because I would have had to have a 6 hour layover in Sydney. With aeropelican back in the game it will be interesting to see if Rex will last a they had the route to themselves for the last few years and aero pelican is cheaper (but has even worse scheduling and frequency).

 

[Melburnian1]

To use a Spring Racing Carnival analogy, Rex is not 'first past the pst' this morning (Sat 31 October) as ZL3153, the 0815 from ABX took off at 0900 with MEL arrival slated for 1004 instead of 0815.

Due to this late running, point to point it is quicker to travel on the Sydney - Melbourne XPT train that takes three hours from Albury to Southern Cross, while slower V/Line (just under four hours) is also fairly competitive, and especially when the lower fares on V/Line are taken into account.

 

[Melburnian1]

ZL473 (SAAB340B VH-EKX) was meant to depart NRA at 1840 and arrive GFF at 1905 this evening on what must be one of the shortest hops in Australian RPT aviation. Takeoff however was at 2218 with arrival looking like about 2243, presumably the late running being due to the SYD storms that caused much larger aircraft problems in punctuality this evening.

Meanwhile a delayed ZL678 (VH-ZRB) is on its way from WGA to SYD where it is slated for a 2313 hours arrival so a dispensation from curfew must have been granted. That compares to the 1940 hours timetabled arrival.

 

[dajop]

Meanwhile a delayed ZL678 (VH-ZRB) is on its way from WGA to SYD where it is slated for a 2313 hours arrival so a dispensation from curfew must have been granted. Tha

Aren't small props exempt from curfew anyway? Or the SAAB not in this category? I've certainly experienced a couple of post-curfew arrivals on props from regional NSW (once on Aeropelican, once IIRC was a Dash 8 200).

 

[Melburnian1]

dajop, my apologies: I think you are correct, because doesn't a SAAB340B come in at 29 tonnes whereas aircraft under 34 tonnes are exempt:

https://infrastructure.gov.au/aviation/environmental/curfews/SydneyAirport/SydneyCurfewBrief.aspx

Today, Wednesday 4 November, ZL3469 from MIM arrived at MEL at 1545 instead of 1005 - an almost six hour delay.

 

[N860CR]

A 29 tonne Saab340 would have to be carrying more baggage than most of these irritating threads

 

[JessicaTam]

A 29 tonne Saab340 would have to be carrying more baggage than most of these irritating threads

Don't like 'em? Don't read 'em!

 

[N860CR]

Don't like 'em? Don't read 'em!

Pretty hard not to when my unread news feed is covered by General delay discussion for just about every airline that services the country.

 

[Melburnian1]

ZL3554 from BWT to MEL is predicted to arrive three hours late this morning at 1045. Is it fog - a QantasLink flight (QF2050) is coming in to MEL from LST via DPO this morning almost two hours late.

 

[Melburnian1]

ZL344, the 1725 hours from SYD to GFN took off at 2053 on Friday 6 November (SAAB340B VH-REX as luck would have it.) It is now due into the northern NSW city at 2215 hours, three hours and 25 minutes late so if there is a return flight this evening it might be a post midnight arrival in Old Sydney Town.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Friday 20 November 2015, ZL134 from MYA to SYD took off at 1858, substantially after its 1640 timetabled departure and is in a holding pattern to the southwest of SYD but may arrive at the latter's gate at 2017, 157 minutes behind time. VH-VNA is operating the flight.

 

[Melburnian1]

ZL117 (SAAB 340B VH-ZRI) as the 0905 hours flight from SYD to MYA on Monday 30 November is only taxiing at 1010 at SYD, so not a good mid morning start to the day.

 

[Melburnian1]

A crew member on ZL3752 from MGB to MEL has just spoken to MEL ATC, saying that 'we have enough fuel for about half an hour more and then (if not OK to land) will have to return to MGB.) This is on Saturday 5 December with ZL-ZRK, the usual SAAB340B doing the honours.

There may have been fog at MEL even though I could not see a forecast by Australia's official weather forecasts & weather radar - Bureau of Meteorology indicating this. A large number of inbound aircraft are in a holding pattern as at 0825 hours.

ZL3262, the 0930 hours from MEL to WGA took off at 1026 and should arrive 47 minutes late at 1132. VH-ZRN is the SAAB340B aircraft.

 

[Melburnian1]

ZL472, the 1640 from GFF to SYD took off at 1752 on Thursday 14 January 2016 and will arrive at about 1905 hours, just over an hour late. Aircraft is VH-ZRJ, the usual SAAB 340. There is bad weather around SYD with the four major domestic airlines all having quite a few flights that are 80 to 90 minutes late.

ZL869 from DBO will be about an hour late into SYD tonight with arrival forecast at 2045 instead of 1940. Aircraft is VH-REX.

 

[Melburnian1]

ZL3771, the 1535 MEL to MGB did not take off until 2101 on the evening of Monday 18 January, a little more than five hours late While not necessarily known to passengers in advance, quicker and cheaper to travel by V/Line rail and coach or self drive.

 

[Melburnian1]

Whether this report of protected (that is, lawful) industrial action turns into reality is still up in the air - negotiations can settle such matters:

Rex pilots gear up for more industrial action

One way I occasionally see advanced on the Internet (whether in jest or not) for airline staff to avoid being called in to work on days off is to simply turn one's smartphone off. Whether managements react in a hostile manner to that strategy is rarely explained.

Being away from home may be part and parcel of working in the marine, air and sometimes the surface transport sectors, but if conditions are markedly varying from when the last agreement was signed, the pilots may have a point.

Container and bulk ship master mariners and seamen and defence industry personnel can be away from home for far longer consecutive nights than airline staff yet they accept it. Heavy road vehicle and country and interstate passenger and freight train drivers, as well as many road coach regular public transport and tour drivers also spend many nights away from home yet rarely complain about it.

Rex was not very profitable prior to the oil price collapse and is also extremely exposed to the highly variable agricultural economy and small, non coastal town section of Australia's population. It does however have some possibly lucrative government medical contracts and if I am not mistaken some Queensland Government subsidies to fatten its bottom line.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Thursday 18 February, ZL161, the 0630 hours from OAG to SYD did not take off until 0657 and is hence arriving at about 0757, 37 minutes late. SAAB 340B VH-EKH is the ageing aircraft.

ZL821 from DBO to SYD is similarly late and should arrive at about 0813 hours, 33 minutes late with VH-ZRM of the same type the plane.

ZL517, the 0630 from PKE to SYD makes a troika and should be about 41 minutes late when it arrives at 0806. VH-NRX is the SAAB 340B.

ZL924, the 0815 SYD to DBO took off at 0937 and should arrive at about 1030, 65 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

The Friday 19 February ZL3257 (SAAB 340B VH-RXE) was meant to depart WGA at 0645 but did not take off until 0730. It is therefore not arriving in MEL until about 0840 hours, 40 minutes behind time.

ZL211 from BNK to SYD (VH-ZRM) took off at 0734 against a departure time of 0630 so it should arrive at about 0903, 43 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Saturday 20 February, ZL465, the 0755 SYD - NRA took off at 0850 hours and should arrive at about 1009, 49 minutes late. VH-OLM is the craft.