Virgin Australia Delays/Cancellations

[AIRwin]

Everyone is over the rainbow...

 

[Melburnian1]

As AIRwin alludes, one example of late running from SYD dowqn to MEL on the evening of 1 March 2020 is VA894 (the 2100 hours SYD - MEL airborne at 2211 hours with B738 VH-VUZ.) Arrival should be at roughly 2325 hours, 50 minutes behind schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA809, the 0645 hours Thursday 5 March 2020 MEL - SYD has been cancelled. VA833, the 1000 hours on the same route has also got the boot.

The morning's first, VA800, the 0600 hours SYD - MEL is also not running. Nor is VA810, the 0715 hours from SYD.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA819, the 0800 hours MEL - SYD (B738 VH-YFT) took off at 0900 on 5 March 2020 from the east-west runway (with delays due it being used for almost all flights given the poor weather) so arrival should be at about 1010, 45 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

B738 VH-VUJ is on VA224, the 1305 hours ADL to MEL airborne at 1357 and arriving at about 1544, 49 late as from FR24 there appear to be delays on the taxiways.

VH-YFS is on VA736, the 1100 hours OOL down to MEL in the sky at 1240 but arriving at roughly 1548 hours, 88 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

MEL is topping FR24's worldwide delay minutes rankings late on Thursday 5 March with VA1380 (B738 VH-VUS, the 2030 hours MEL - LST airborne at 22202) suggested as arriving at 2253, 78 minutes behind.

VA686, the scheduled 1205 hours lunchtime PER - MEL got away (in the air) at 1442 so the very welcome A332 widebody, VH-XFE has a not so pleasing delay of 221 minutes as it arrives at 2221 hours.

The 1745 hours SYD down to MEL, VA872 (VH-VUQ, in the sky at 2031 mid evening) is arriving at about 2224 hours, 184 minutes behind the schedule as it incurred an extensive hold above Mt Buller involving three racecourse circuits.

 

[Melburnian1]

Friday 6 March's VA1294 (B738 VH-VOO, the 1200 'high noon' CNS down to MEL airborne at 1353 hours) should arrive at its gate at roughly 1805, 100 minutes tardy. It was then to operate the 1700 hours MEL up to BNE, VA341, but that's been cancelled.

 

[Melburnian1]

Mid to late evening, but still on 6 March 2020 sees VA672, the 2035 hours SYD - CBR airborne at 2123 hours. ATR72 VH-FVR should arrive at about 2210 which would be 35 minutes tardy.

VA697 has VH-YVD and is the 2030 hours MEL across to PER in the sky at 2137, meaning suggested arrival at gate at 2231, 46 behind.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA1531 (Saturday 7 March, scheduled 1010 hours HBA up to SYD airborne at 1058) should arrive at 1238 hours, 38 minutes late. Aircraft is B738 VH-YIB.

VH-VUU is on the 0935 hours transcontinental SYD - PER (VA555.) It took off at 1136 so arrival at gate is likely at 1312, 92 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA167 (0930 hours MEL - AKL) is cancelled on Sunday 8 March 2020.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Wednesday 11 March 2020, VA823 (0830 hours MEL up to SYD) was cancelled.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA862 (Thursday 12 March, the 1630 hours SYD - MEL airborne at 1707 with B738 VH-VUF) had to hold above Mt Buller in the usual ATC-mandated position, so arrival is at 1841, 36 minutes late.

VA334 (VH-YFX, the 1455 hours BNE down to MEL pointing skywards at 1534) should arrive at 1858 hours, 43 minutes late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Later on 12 March, VA761, the mid evening 2020 hours MEL - OOL (VH-VOO) was in the sky at 2108, meaning predicted at gate arrival of 2159 hours, 34 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Monday 16 March 2020, there is a raft of cancellations due to coronavrus.

VA807, VA809 and VA813, the 0630, 0645 and 0715 hours MEL to SYD were cancelled. VA829, the 0930 hours MEL - SYD is also getting the boot. VA219, the 1010 hours MEL - ADL is flicked. VA845, the 1300 hours lunchtime MEL - SYD is also not to run.

VA905, the early morning 0630 hours SYD up to BNE also received the boot as did VA806, the 0645 hours SYD down to MEL.

The 0745 hours SYD - MEL, VA814 was another cancellation. Later, VA834, the offpeak 1100 hours SYD down to MEL will also get the boot as will VA838, the 1200 'high noon' southbound. VA850, the 1500 hours SYD - MEL is another to be cut as is VA874, the 1800 hours.

VA231, the 1540 hours MEL - ADL is also cancelled as is VA859 and VA865, the afternoon 1600 and 1645 hours MEL up to SYD.

VA977, the 1830 hours SYD - BNE is also to be canned as is VA882, the 1900 hours SYD down to southern capital MEL.

VA1429, the evening departure at 1915 hours SYD up to CNS, a route with lower frequency, is also cancelled. While it has been low (rainy) season in Far North Queensland, Cairns has had a huge number of cancellations from mainland Chinese and other tour groups or individual visitors.

The 2000 hours SYD - BNE, VA989, is also not to operate on 16 March.

AFFer TheInsider in the last few months claimed that flights are not cancelled due to 'low bookings.' I didn't believe that then, and certainly don't now with COVID-19 resulting in mass cancellations internationally and now domestically.

One assumes that because so many morning flights have got the boot, a similar pattern will emerge later in the day for afternoon flights. . With six MEL - SYD northbound flights already displaying as cancelled by 0800 hours, and more likely, it's not inconceivable that today 30 per cent of VAd flights on the bsuiest of Australian routes (at least) may not operate.

Should bookings continue to plummet the major airlines must surely eventually have to sack more staff, unless they want to place them on leave without pay. In the latter situation, some may decide, depending on age and financial situation, to retire while others may try to find employment or self-employment in other sectors.

QFd has a higher flight frequency on routes like MEL - SYD - MEL but in percentage terms it is also experiencing a high rate of cancellations today, bearing in mind that many more are likely later in teh day once the software works out how flights can be 'consolidated' (a lovely word.)

 

[Melburnian1]

Adding to Monday 16 March 2020 cancellations, VA966, the 1635 hours BNE down to SYD is another.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA989, the mid evening 2000 hours from SYD up to sunny BNE is another cancellation for Monday 16 March 2020.

 

[Melburnian1]

On the first St Patrick's Day in living memory when one can't imagine large quantities of green-dyed beer being consumed in hotels due to coronavirus' 'social distancing', 17 March 2020, VA303, the 0600 hours first of the morning MEL - BNE was cancelled. Later on the same route, VA319, the 0900 hours also did not operate.

Later in the day, the 1600 hours MEL - BNE (VA337) is also not to run.

So were VA807, VA811 and VA815, respectively the 0630, 0700 and 0730 hours MEL - SYD northbounds. Much later, VA853, the 1500 hours mid afternoon MEL - SYD will additionally not operate. Nor will VA865, the 1645 hours. VA887, the evening 1930 hours is another 'victim' of COVID19.

VA213 (the 0810 hours MEL - ADL) also got the gong, not a route on which so far QFd is showing any cancellations today.

With the exception of MEL - ADL, like QFd it seems VAd is not (thus far) cancelling flights out of MEL on domestic routes with lower frequency.

This may be because if airlines still want to provide some flights, there's less opportunity to cancel, and may also at times involve crew positioning or other requirements. It's a contrast with the two busiest routes ex MEL (SYD by a long shot, then BNE) where both major legacy carriers are cancelling a fair percentage of their schedules, because it's easier to 'amalgamate' lower passenger numbers onto fewer flights.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA811 (the 0700 hours), VA815 (0730), VA823 (0830), VA833 (1000), VA845 (1300), VA853 and VA863 (1530/1630), VA869/VA871 (1700 and 1715) , VA877 (1815) and VA887 (1930 hours) are the notified cancellations on Wednesday 18 March 2020 from MEL to SYD northbound thus far.

QFd also had 11 cancelled when I checked overnight, so VAd is cancelling a higher percentage of its flights on this, the most popular domestic route by far.

VA1316 (0825 hours morning MEL down to HBA) has also got the boot as has VA319, the 0900 hours MEL up to BNE. VA219, the 1010 hours from MEL across to ADL is also a coronavirus victim.

Nevertheless, for both major airlines, far fewer flights on other routes are being cancelled than on MEL - SYD in particular, and yesterday MEL - BNE. See the previous post above for some possible reasons why.

 

[Melburnian1]

As with QF and JQ, VA has immensely reduced its flights during coronavirus while subsidiary TT has ceased operating.

On Saturday 4 April 2020, VA262, the 1015 hours CBR down to MEL took off at 1054 with B738 VH-YFL. Arrival should be at 1158 hours, 33 minutes behind.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 5 April 2020, VA827, the first scheduled VA flight of the morning ex MEL (0900 hours to SYD) has been cancelled, as has VA685, the 1245 hours lunchtime to PER.

Ex MEL tomorrow, this leaves just VA271 (1235 to CBR), VA227 (1300 hours to ADL), the 1630 hours to BNE VA339 and lastly VA867 to SYD, the 1700.

QFd isn't much better in terms of the percentage of 'normal' flights operating tomorrow, with just 17 listed on Saturday night ex MEL on Sunday.