Virgin Australia Delays/Cancellations

[Melburnian1]

Saturday 19 December 2020 has VA413 (0930 hours morning ADL across to SYD) not airborne until 1418. B738 VH-YID should shortly arrive at 1622 hours, 267 minutes late.

This aircraft must have failed overnight as the Friday 18 December VA1404 (1920 hours early evening from BNE down and across to ADL) did not depart until Saturday, taking off at 1021 this morning with arrival in the Wine State capital at 1336 instead of 2235 last night, so 901 minutes late. I assume passengers were accommodated in a Brisbane hotel last night. As a further compounding delay, VA422 (1245 hours lunchtime Saturday 19 SYD - ADL) is expected to depart at 1700 hours, 255 minutes tardy. This appears to be its only other flight today, so just a return trip from ADL to SYD, but tomorrow, unless things change, this aircraft is rostered to fly seven sectors.

Also on Saturday, VA705 (B738 VH-YFZ< the 1350 hours in the sky at 1547) should arrive at 1715 hours, 105 minutes tardy.

VA560 (1205 hours early lunchtime PER - SYD, B738 VH-YFW) took off at 1312 hours so a 44 minute late arrival at 2004 in the mid evening is the prediction.

 

[Melburnian1]

Later on 19 December 2020, VA337 (B738 VH-YFU, the 1600 hours from MEL up to BNE) was in teh sky at 1449. Arrival is suggested as 1743 hours, 33 minutes tardy.

The 1445 hours BNE up to ROK (B738 VH-YIL, VA1245) took off at 1557 so likely arrival is 1652, 57 late.

VA1595 (VH-YVA) is the 1535 hours MEL - NTL that was in the sky at 1642, so at gate arrival looks to be 1756, 51 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA321 on Sunday 20 December 2020, the 1000 hours from MEL up to BNE was not up up and away until 1108 hours. Suggested arrival is 1202 hours, 52 late for B738 VH-YIG.

VA1534, the 1415 hours from SYD down to HBA has been cancelled. This was showing on FR24 as another flight YIG was meant to operate.

The 1210 hours MEL - HBA (VA1322) is expected to depart at 1300 hours.

VA1532 (1215 hours SYD down to HBA) is suggested as departing two hours late.

VA859 (1600 hours MEL up to SYD) has a predicted pushback at 1635.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with 20 December 2020, VA874, the 1800 hours from SYD down to MEL is predicted to depart at 1857 (a very odd time - usually most Australian airports and airlines only estimate these to the closest five minutes).

 

[Melburnian1]

On Monday 21 December 2020, VA867, the 1700 hours MEL to SYD has been cancelled.

Given the new border closures to Sydneysiders and Central Coasters, plus Victorians being discouraged from visiting Sydney (for one thing, one can't get back beyond tomorrow night), it's surprising that VAd, like QFd and JQd, doesn't have more cancellations. It may simply be that VAd is not informing the MEL website software much in advance.

UPDATE: by 2120 hours on Sunday, the following flights on Monday 21 had also got the gong from SYD down to MEL: VA808 at 0700 hours, VA816 (0800), VA824 (0900), VA830 (1000), VA842 (1300), VA846 (1400 hours), VA866 (1700 hours) and VA894 (2100).

Tomorrow, this appears to leave VAd with only four SYD to MEL southbounds: the 1200 'high noon', then 1600, 1800 and the last at 2000 hours.

VA1528, the 0730 hours SYD down to HBA is also cancelled.

VA424, a mid afternoon 1445 hours from MEL to ADL is another one not to run. VA442, the 1925 hours is also cancelled on the same route.

VA565 (1745 late afternoon SYD to PER) is cancelled as well.

Evening flight VA515, the 1915 hours SYD up to OOL is also not operating while much earlier, VA505 on the same route (the morning 0710 hours) is similarly flicked.

 

[Melburnian1]

With Sydneysiders/ Central Coasters/ Northern Beaches residents to varying degrees becoming pariahs, on Tuesday 22 December 2020, VAd is cancelling (as at 0900 AEDT) 15 of its 38 planned departures from Sydney Airport today.

This is a slightly smaller percentage than QFd (when I checked last night, 36 of 75) but of course VAd has a lower base figure.

Given that MEL - SYD is usually the #1 domestic route in popularity and SYD - BNE #2, these border closures will cost owner Bain a lot of money. One would have to doubt that a sudden pre-Christmas 'shut' that extends into 2021 was written into the Bain business plan for VA 2.0 .

 

[Melburnian1]

VA786 (1655 hours CNS to BNE, Tuesday 22 December 2020 that was in the sky at 1744 with B738 VH-YFR) is predicted to arrive at its gate half an hour behind schedule at 1945 AEST.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Sunday 27 December 2020 between 1200 'high noon' and 1800 hours, winds at MEL have gusted to between 43 and 83kmh.

VA1375 (1700 hours LST - MEL that took off at 1710 with B738 VH-VUH had a missed approach at about 1800 hours on runway 27 from the east (as did QF625 from BNE, though not on the same runway as it was using 16 from the north).

UPDATE: VA1375 then tried to land on runway 16 from the north but failed at about 1815 hours.

FURTHER UPDATE: 'The 1375' landed in MEL at 1834 so an 1839 hours terminal at gate arrival means it's 34 minutes tardy.

B738 VH-YFF on VA334, the 1455 hours BNE - MEL took off at 1524. At about 1834, it abandoned its approach from the north to MEL and turned westwards. It was due in MEL at 1815 hours, but landed at about 1848 so arrival is 1853, 38 late.

VA278 (1700 hours CBR down to MEL, VH-YWE) was airborne at 1722 but due to the high winds and resultant congestion (albeit with fewer flights operating than a year ago on an equivalent day) had to do some circuits above Kilmore East and Willowmavin, so arrival is suggested as 1847 hours, 37 minutes behind schedule.

 

[Melburnian1]

Continuing with 27 December, VA1376 (VH-YFF, the 1850 hours from MEL down to LST) did not take off until 2021 (due to earlier wind-related delays - see above), arriving at 2113 hours, 78 late. Between 21 and 24 Dec (inclusive), this flight was only punctual once: on the other three trips, it was 28.29 and 44 minutes late arriving.

This aircraft tonight formed VA1381 back to MEL ex LST, taking off at 2146 hours (about 55 late) and suggested as arriving at 2242, 57 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

On Friday 1 January 2021, VA859 (1600 hours MEL - SYD) is predicted to depart at 1642. It is uncommon for Australian airlines to specify projected times in less than five minute increments.

 

[Melburnian1]

Sunday 3 January 2021 finds VA1378, the 1910 hours early evening MEL - LST estimated to depart at 2005 hours. This is due to VA334 (B738 VH-VUT, the 1455 hours BNE - MEL) not taking off until 1613, with an expected arrival at gate at 1922, 67 minutes tardy. Not that the expected 43 minute turnaround is longer than what 'legacy' airlines for this size of aircraft can typically achieve if all goes well: 35 minutes.

 

[Silvia]

Not a big delay, heads up today Monday 4 Jan 2021 VA1291 MEL-CNS (B738 VH-VOO) had a go around and arrival at 11 48, 33 behind. Had a friend on board who passed news on. Seems VA775 BNE-CNS did similarly

 

[AviatorInsight]

Weather is appalling in CNS today as the TC hits land. Visibility at 3000m and cloud base at 500ft. Coming in from runway 33, there’s no ILS on that runway so the minimum requirements at the bottom of the approach are a little higher meaning a missed approach is more than likely.

TSV at the moment looks better and a suitable alternate.

 

[Melburnian1]

Also on Monday 4 January 2021, VA705 (the 1450 hours mid afternoon HBA up to BNE with B738 VH-VFK) took off at 1528, about a quarter of an hour late, but there's a lot of 'traffic' approaching BNE, so arrival should be at about 1616, 46 minutes late.

VA334 (southbound 1455 hours BNE - MEL, VH-YVA) took off at 1541 for projected arrival at 1847, 32 late.

 

[Melburnian1]

Since the Vic and other states' border closures to Sydney/Great Sydney/Central Coast/all of NSW came into effect in the last week or so, I've not checked every day, but when glanced at, it didn't seem VAd 2.0 was cancelling many flights.

That's changed.

On Tuesday 5 January 2021, VA815, VA819 and VA827 (respectively MEL - SYD at scheduled 0730, 0800 and 0900 hours pushbacks) were cancelled, as was VA833 on the same route at 1000. As at 1330 hours, the only VA MEL to SYD flights today were/are VA811 at 0700 hours and VA859 at 1600 this afternoon. On a similar day 12 months ago - Tuesday is typically the quietest weekday unless it's immediately after a Monday public holiday - VAd 1.0 may have had about 20 flights to Sydney from Melbourne, so two is 10 per cent.

VA735 (B738 VH-YIJ), the 1020 hours MEL - OOL took off at 1146, arriving at 1238 AEST, 73 minutes late. The 1200 'high noon' VA738 OOL back down to MEL looks like it might push back at around 1315 hours. This return trip, along with starting the day on a BNE - MEL, appear to be the only flights today for this plane, a stark contrast compared to 12 months ago during school holidays when not only was the VA 1.0 active fleet larger, but utilisation (and demand) was much greater. Yesterday all this aircraft did was fly from PER to BNE, a lengthy domestic flight but on its own nowhere near nine - 12 hours' 'block time'. It was 55 minutes late arriving BNE on a poor day weatherwise.

QF is not in a good space financially and neither would VA 2.0 be, although the latter's accounts are likely to be opaque under Bain's ownership compared with when VA was a public company listed on the ASX.

 

[Melburnian1]

Much rain in southeast Queensland is the case on Wednesday 6 January 2021 with VA346 (B738 VH-VUP, the 1755 hours BNE down to MEL) taking off at 1855 hours. Expected arrival should be 2204 hours, 49 minutes behind the timetable.

 

[Melburnian1]

Thursday 7 January 2021 has seen VA687, the 1615 hours afternoon MEL to PER cancelled. This is probably the result of the WA border (again) being closed to Victorians.

VA517R - that's what the SYD Airport site calls it - as the 1225 hours lunchtime SYD - OOL also got flicked.

 

[Melburnian1]

VA1102 (0915 hours BNE down to NTL) is cancelled on Friday 8 January 2021.

 

[Melburnian1]

Also on 8 January 2021, VA375 (VH-YIY, the 1450 hours mid afternoon BNE - TSV up up and away at 1536) should arrive at 1722, 32 minutes behind the timetable.

 

[Melburnian1]

Presumably due to the three day lockdown in Brisbane, on Sunday 10 January, VA333 and VA351 (1500/1900 hours MEL - BNE) have been cancelled.