Royal Brunei Airlines Delays/ Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Thursday 19 January sees BI53, the overnight from BWN not due into MEL until 1116, 316 minutes tardy compared with timetabled arrival of 0600 hours. V8-DLD is the B788. As BI54 is not scheduled out until 1325, it should in theory be able to depart punctually.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Thursday 11 May 2017, BI54 (1215 hours MEL - BWN, B788 V8-DLD that took off at 1233) should arrive at around 1755, half an hour behind schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

The Thursday 25 May arriving BI53, the scheduled 2000 hours on Wednesday 24 ex BWN took off at 2036 but is not expected to arrive in MEL (with B788 V8-DLB) until about 0605 hours.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Saturday 24 June, BI53 arrived in MEL 82 minutes late at 0622 ex BWN the previous night.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Friday 11 July, BI53 from BWN to MEL is delayed five hours in its expected arrival to 1000.

This airline's four larger planes are normally fully committed - three for LHR via DXB and one for MEL. It lacks a spare.

 

[Melburnian1]

Back on 30 and 31 October respectively, BI53/ BI54 BSB- MEL - BSB were cancelled, presumably due to one of the four suitable aircraft being inoperable. BI needs three for its Brunei - Dubai - London flights and one for Melbourne: it lacks a spare.

 

[Melburnian1]

BI54 is usually the 1325 hours MEL - BWN but on Melbourne Cup Day, 7 November, it is operating to an altered time with an 0810 hours departure. It took off promptly at 0818 hours but presumably adverse winds see its estimated arrival as 1239 hours, 34 late for B788 V8-DLC, the second consecutive day that this aircraft - one of only four - has operated this flight.

 

[Melburnian1]

The same aircraft as in the last post, B788 V8-DLC took off from BWN on Tuesday 7 November at 2359 hours, 239 late so on Tuesday 8 is arriving MEL on BI53 at roughly 0916 hours, 206 late. As this airline with its sole daily flight into and out of Oz has a very generous turnaround allowance of several hours in MEL, the returning BI54 in theory should not be delayed.

 

[Melburnian1]

When an airline has a tony medium haul length fleet - in BI's case, four - and three are ordinarily required for BWN - DXB - LHR and return and one for BWN-MEL v.v. and one is unavailable, there are problems.

The Saturday night BI53 was delayed until Sunday 14 January, takeoff for BI53D being at 1050 hours. MEL arrival is likely at about 2055 for B788 V8-DLB instead of the usual 0600 hours early morning at gate time during Victorian DST.

BI54, the 1325 hours MEL - BWN may be able to depart from about 2215 if all goes well.

Sibling B788 V8-DLC operated BI97 from BWN to DXB and LHR uneventfully on 11 and 12 January but since the latter date looks to have not moved in LHR. So BI98 from LHR to DXB on 12 January and the same aircraft's second sector (13 January) from DXB to BWN were cancelled, while over part of 12 and 13 January BI81/BI82 (not daily) were operated by V8-DLB, so upon this ex JED flight arriving this morning in BWN at 0902 hours, passengers to Melbourne were finally on their way.

 

[Melburnian1]

In a further delay for BI MEL-bound passengers, BI53 on Sunday 14 January, the 2000 hours ex BWN did not take off until 0030. Arrival should be at roughly 1025 hours on Monday 15, 265 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

This small operator continues to operate only to MEL with a daily flight.

The Wednesday 12 September BI53 due ex BWN at 2000 hours departed on Thursday 13 at 0331 (terrible time!) so arrival in MEL for B788 V8-DLB is likely at 1206 hours, 426 minutes late. The aircraft had arrived in BWN at 1738 hours last night, eight minutes late on BI98 ex DXB and prior to that LHR, so no obvious reason for the delay.

In turn today's BI54, the 1215 will be delayed until at least 1320 in its departure from MEL back to BWN.

Normally (as with some EK asircraft) this company's sole daily arrival is moved to a parking bay at MEL as it is not possible to occupy a gate for seven hours.

 

[Melburnian1]

Also on Thursday 13 September, the arriving BI53 was at its MEL gate at 1205 instead of 0500. It turned around quickly with BI54 departing at 1309 (54 late) and taking off at 1315. BWN arrival is estimated as 1821, 56 late.

UPDATE: BI54 arrived BWN at 1811, 46 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

I have not seen this before but BI54, the 1215 hours MEL - BWN is operated on Thursday 20 September 2018 by chartered Hi-Fly A343 9H-SUN. The plane took off from MEL at 1258 with arrival suggested at 1814, 49 minutes tardy.

This is the fourth consecutive day this has occurred so apologies for missing. This northbound flight has been more than 15 minutes late arriving BWN on three of these four days, but the southbound that arrives in MEL early at 0500 daily has been better.

Most unusually, B788s V8-DLA and DLC appear not to have flown for at least the past week. BI normally has a spare with the current timetable, but obviously not if two are inoperable.

BI has a radical schedule change from MEL on 28 October ('northern winter') with the northbound departing at 1840, the aim being to offer a quick connection to the new nonstop to LHR (at present this makes an intermediate stop in DXB). However the different timing means that some SEAsian connections such as BWN - MNL require an overnight stay, making use of this carrier unattractive for most given that MEL - MNL is only eight hours or so on a nonstop PR or 5J flight.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Monday 19 November, BI5 from BWN to MEL (B788 V8-DLC) should arrive at about 0850, 210 minutes late. As at 0822 it was in a hold above Kerang. The connecting flight ex LHR to BWN (BI4) was not late, unlike the previous day when DLC operated it, so not sure why the aircraft is delayed into MEL this morning.

 

[Melburnian1]

The daily BI5 normally arrives MEL bright and early at 0520 hours after a redeye from BWN. However on Wednesday 12 December 2018, the flight was delayed to takeoff at 1051 for a rare daytime flight to MEL. In stormy conditions in MEL, B788 V8-DLC is arriving at 2028 hours, 908 minutes late.

BI6, the 1840 hours is showing as a 2200 hours amended departure.

Just how this airline manages crews with such a delay is unclear as I thought that the crews rested during the day for about 11 hours, so when the southbound is delayed this may be problematical.

 

[Silvia]

Sat 15th of Dec sees BI5 BWN-MEL service arrive at 10 50, 390 min behind schedule (V8-DLB).

 

[Melburnian1]

The 1920 hours Christmas Eve 2018 BI5 from BWN down to MEL took off at 0039 on Christmas Day, so arrival is 1011, 291 minutes late for B788 V8-DLA.

This was due to the Sunday 23 December BI3 departing BWN 12 hours late for LHR, arriving at 1926 hours instead of 0650. Then BI4 from LHR back nonstop to BWN took off at 2226 hours compared to its scheduled 1800 hours pushback, meaning BWN arrival yesterday at 1852 rather than 1535 mid afternoon.

 

[Melburnian1]

Tuesday 8 January 2019's BI5 from BWN to MEL, the early evening 1920 hours did not take off until 0328 hours on Wednesday 9. B788 V8-DLD is expected to arrive at 1309 hours this afternoon, 469 minutes late. It had arrived from LHR at 1452 on Tuesday afternoon on BI4, 43 early, so no 'compounding' reason for the delay.

This airline has a long layover in MEL (until 1840 hours tonight) but I am unsure of the crew rostering: if they normally just sleep all day in Melbourne and take the evening flight back to BWN, it may be delayed.

 

[Melburnian1]

BI6, the Tuesday 30 April 2019 scheduled 1615 hours afternoon MEL to BWN (B788 V8-DLE) was airborne at 1745, so arrival is estimated as 2227 tonight, 62 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Monday 3 June, BI6, the mostly on time 1615 hours MEL - BWN (B788 V8-DLE) took off at 1713 so arrival is suggested as 2206 tonight, 41 late. This will probably delay BI3, the connecting 2255 hours BWN - LHR nonstop.

This aircraft may form BI3 to LHR, BI5 back down to MEL or the DXB-bound flight. There doesn't seem to be a set pattern.