Special Event Aviation Transport - AFL Grand Final

[Saab34]

What is the MinRes A320 doing? Charter for its mining employees?

 

[Harrison_133]

What is the MinRes A320 doing? Charter for its mining employees?

AFL fan charter.

 

[Quickstatus]

Those VA95xx flights are showing as cancelled because they were renumbered.

Maybe, but I am a bit skeptical when airlines cancel flights.
It is not impossible for 2 aircraft to be scheduled for the same departure time

 

[CaptJCool]

Correct
Sydney - Melbourne flights often have 15 minute gaps in peak periods

 

[Saab34]

22 in the air

 

[PERLHR]

Yet we have this ...

Virgin slashes 30 flights over cabin crew shortages

According to a report in The Australian, Virgin cabin crew are calling in sick at higher rates and increasingly opting not to put their hand up for additional shifts on their off-days, citing being “exhausted and fed up”.

australianaviation.com.au

 

[Quickstatus]

Yet we have this

So while VA sells tickets at exorbitant prices, what do the CC get?

Sounds like they don't get much......

 

[jrfsp]

22 in the air

25 now - must be a record for that route ?

 

[PERLHR]

25 now - must be a record for that route ?

The "environmental do gooders will have a field day " . Shame the airlines were unable to put on significant wide bodies...to reduce flights and carry more pax.

 

[I love to travel]

22 in the air

I hiope they are HLO or it will be a madhouse at baggage claim

 

[Quickstatus]

Shame the airlines were unable to put on significant wide bodies..

Well, one of the major corporate sponsor does not have any wide bodies. Don't know if they asked their mates over at QR

This is ironic:

 

[Saab34]

The old $49 fates. Often only Sydney to Byron or Melbourne to Launceston on a Tuesday or Wednesday in 6 months time.

 

[PERLHR]

Well, one of the major corporate sponsor does not have any wide bodies. Don't know if they asked their mates over at QR

This is ironic:

View attachment 522915

Certainly in Europe it don't really matter. You used to see KLM 747s or DC10s or Air France 747s or 380s plus charter operators with wide bodies pour into cities with soccer fans where (say)teams from Germany and Spain would be playing each other in say Prague. That's what makes Europe so unique I guess! Guess they are much better at organising be spoke charter flights and accomodation.

 

[Quickstatus]

Guess they are much better at organising be spoke charter flights and accomodation.

True European charter operators are a common part of the air travel scene.

 

[cove]

We came home this afternoon using a long cut. We went MEL-SYD-PER on Virgin.
There were lots of flights to Perth cancelled but my eldest son is on a Virgin flight coming in to Perth tonight.

 

[LionKing]

I am concerned that this weekend's NRL Grand Final will have similar chaos again.
According to this website:

NRL & NRLW Grand Final 2026

With around 80,000 footy fans expected to attend the NRL & NRLW Grand Final, ticketholders are urged to leave the car at home and catch public transport to avoid getting caught in traffic delays. Travel on transport is included in event tickets.

transportnsw.info

There is no extra Newcastle Buses service to Sydney for the NRL, but there are extra "trains" to Western Sydney where there's no teams in Western Sydney competing!
I wonder whether Qantas and Virgin Australia should introduce some new NTL - SYD service for Newcastle Knights fans to go to Olympic Park?

 

[Forg]

The stadium is in western Sydney, everyone seeing the game can't stay at Olympic Park so the only way to get to & from the stadium by train (from anywhere in the entire universe ) is if there are extra trains put on ...

I guess they'll have extra Metro services too, they'll just be approximately 6-8 years late for the game.

 

[elanshin]

I am concerned that this weekend's NRL Grand Final will have similar chaos again.
According to this website:

NRL & NRLW Grand Final 2026

With around 80,000 footy fans expected to attend the NRL & NRLW Grand Final, ticketholders are urged to leave the car at home and catch public transport to avoid getting caught in traffic delays. Travel on transport is included in event tickets.

transportnsw.info

There is no extra Newcastle Buses service to Sydney for the NRL, but there are extra "trains" to Western Sydney where there's no teams in Western Sydney competing!
I wonder whether Qantas and Virgin Australia should introduce some new NTL - SYD service for Newcastle Knights fans to go to Olympic Park?

You clearly have not paid attention to how sports and large crowds and events work in Sydney. Olympic Park and tfNSW is more than used to dealing with 100k+ fans (more than NRL grand final) pouring into and out of Olympic Park precinct.

It was also designed to do this and for the heavy rail to handle it. Special service will be added that aren't the Lidcombe to Olympic Park shuttle (so Olympic Park - Central as well Olympic Park to Parramatta).

As for Newcastle, you are aware you can drive and be there in 3-4hours right? Or take a train and be in Sydney in 3 hours. Both options would be significantly better than flying by a long stretch.

Not to mention Knights fans would be very used to travelling to Sydney as there would be many games a season in Sydney. Plus theres a bunch of Knights fans based IN Sydney.