Regional Express Delays/Cancellations

27 November 2019 finds ZL5464, the 1340 hours from NTN to CNS (VH-ZRB) arriving at 1728, 138 minutes tardy. Normanton is a town I've been to: hugely different from our cities.
 
With MEL down to single runway operations thanks to bushfire-related smoke haze from roughly 1130 hours on Wednesday 15 January 2020, ZL3561 (VH-KRX), the 1230 hours lunchtime MEL down to BWT was still in the queue as at 1422 hours for ATC departure clearance.
 
Late afternoon/ evening thunderstorms on Wednesday 15 January is adding to the smoke haze timekeeping woes with single runway north-south operations as ZL3682, the 1625 hours MEL up to MQL (VH_KRX) did not take off until 1900 hours.
 
On Thursday 16 January, ZL114 (SAAB 340B VH-ZXF) from MYA to SYD, the 0715 hours, took off at 0739 (about 15 late) but arrival is delayed to about 0850, 35 late. At 0823, it was holding southwest of Campbelltown in the usual area allocated for such holds by ATC to smaller aircraft.

ZL3557 (0845 hours MEL across Bass Strait to BWT) has been delayed in departure to a predicted 1355 this afternoon.
 
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ZL3574 (1620 hours BWT to MEL on Sunday 19 January, VH-ZPA) took off at 1650, about 20 late but is arriving unusually on runway 09 from the west due to severe storms around MEL. Arrival time is 1810, 35 late.

The WGA - MEL ZL3281 (VH-RXX) is worse, with arrival predicted 58 late at 1858 hours.
 
Later on a stormy 19 January 2020 around MEL, ZL3685 (VH_VNA, the 1830 hours MQL down to MEL airborne at 1927 hours) should arrive at or after 2047, 57 late. By 2012, quite a few aircraft were holding on approach to MEL presumably due to thunderstorms and lightning so this may increase the delay.
 
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ZL464, the 1105 hours NRA up to SYD SAAB340B (VH-ZLA) on Monday 20 January was not pointing skywards until 1448, so arrival looks like 1614 hours, 229 minutes behind schedule, after a reasonably lengthy holding pattern west of Oberon.
 
SAAB a340B VH-ZLS on ZL317, the scheduled Wednesday 2 January 0935 hours LSY - SYD is not having a good day as it was not in the sky until 1230. Arrival looks to be 1410 hours, 175 minutes behind schedule.
 
ZL3562, the Wednesday 22 January 1400 hours BWT up to MEL (VH-VNA) took off at 1505, so arrival in windy conditions (gusts to 63kmh) should be at about 1631 hours, 76 late.
 
Difficult weather in SYD on Friday 24 January means many aircraft are having to hold, but ZL665 (1045 hours SYD down to WGA) instead departed late, taking off at 1204 hours. Arrival for VH-RXE should be 73 late at 1313 hours.
 
On Wednesday 29 January, ZL4612, the 0655 hours MGB - MEL did not take off until 0918 so VH-VNA arrival looks like 1026 hours, 141 minutes behind the timetable. ZL4643 from ADL and another flight from MEL last night were either on time or close to it, but there may have been fog this morning as the 0630 hours MGB - MEL (ZL3752, VH-KDV) was in the sky at a similar 0908 hours for suggested arrival at 1032, 147 late.

The SYD - OOM ZL717 has VH-YRX. Forecast arrival is 47 minutes tardy at 1047 hours midmorning.
 
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It was 84 minutes late arriving BHQ on Wednesday 29 January, but ZL872, the scheduled 1825 hours SYD to 'the Hill' is tonight expected in about an hour late (2100 hours) as VH-RXE was not airborne until 1919 hours. This morning, the 0630 hours BHQ back to SYD (ZL853) did not take off until 0718 (more than half an hour late), so given minimum rest is mandated, tonight's lateness could well see something similar occur on Friday 31.
 
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With the Sydney area experiencing severe storms during the late afternoon/ early evening of Sunday 2 February 2020, ZL179 (VH-YRX, the 1725 hours OAG across to SYD that was pointing skywards at 1824 (about 50 late) is likely to arrive at 1911 hours, 56 late or beyond that.

The GFF to SYD ZL472 (VH-ZRL) is similar with suggested arrival 1847, 67 behind.
 
ZL166, the Monday 3 February 0850 hours SYD - OAG (SAAB340B VH-TRX) took off at 0930 so delayed arrival is 1011 hours, 31 minutes late.

VH-ZXF from PKE across to SYD (ZL517) is far worse with this scheduled 0530 hours departure seeing takeoff at 0935 hours. Suggested arrival has become 1030, 185 minutes late. On Sunday, the GFN - SYD ZL333 arrived at 2033, 133 minutes behind schedule that then led to ZL534 to PKE arriving 150 minutes late at 2250 late evening, so crew would then require minimum mandated rest.
 
ZL821, the Tuesday 4 February 2020 scheduled 0630 hours early morning DBO across to SYD (SAAB 340B VH-ZLR) was not airborne until 0722 hours so arrival is likely at 0827, 47 minutes late. This is because last night ZL836 from SYD arrived in the western NSW city at 2134, 79 late and the crew needed sufficient mandated rest overnight.

Yesterday, the same flight from DBO reached SYD at 1301 hours, 321 minutes late (although the night before, ZL836 was 121 minutes late, so extra delay at DBO must have been due to some other reason.)
 
ZL3493 (Thursday 6 February MIM across to MEL, VH-ZXG) is arriving at 1837 hours, 32 minutes behind its timetable.
 
ZL3469 (Friday 7 February, the 0840 hours MIM to MEL airborne at 1008 hours with SAAB 340B VH-KRX) should arrive at about 1152 hours, 107 minutes late. A hold above Eildon has not helped timekeeping.
 
On Saturday 8 February, ZL161 (0710 hours short hop OAG - SYD airborne at 0741, about 20 minutes late) shoudl arrive SYD 35 behind at 0835. Aircraft is VH-ZXF.
 
On a super rainy day in Sydney, Sunday 9 February 2020, ZL472 from GFF to SYD, the 1640 hours took off at 1917 with VH-ZLX. Arrival should be at or after 2045 hours, so at least 165 minutes late.

VH-NRX on the 1830 hours WGA - SYD (ZL678) is less affected, having become airborne at 1916, so forecast arrival is 2047, 67 late.

The short hop BHS to SYD ZL629 has VH-OLM and is the 1655 hours in the sky at 1935, meaning claimed arrival tonight at around 2045, three hours late. However aat 2020 it was still holding so the delay is likely to be underestimated.
 
Monday 10 February 2020 has ZL821, the 0630 hours DBO across to SYD not airborne until 0925 hours. Arrival for SAAB 340B VH-SBA should be 1047 hours, 187 minutes tardy. Last night ZL836, the 1905 hours SYD - DBO took off at 2138 hours, arrivng at 2236, 141 minutes late so that provides the reason why the inbound is delayed this morning.

SYD had an incredible 162.8mm of rain in the 24 hours to 0900 10 February.
 
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