Was I (unintentionally) on one of the shortest flights in Australia?

[chrispy3276]

Definitely one for the memory books today - I think I was on one of the shortest flights that can be done in Australia today by pure accident!

I was on QF594 SYD - OOL, and we were required to land in BNE because of issues with the navigation equipment. We landed at BNE, stayed on the plane while they fixed the part (on the ground about 45 minutes total) before being back in the air and landing at OOL about 80 minutes late. BNE - OOL flight was officially 24 minutes from departing the gate to touch down, flight time according to the pilot was a marathon at 14 minutes. I don't think I'll ever be on a flight that short again.

Props to the crew who handled things really well, including passengers who wanted to get off at BNE (there were about half a dozen who did). Have many others had something like that happen? I know there's diversions to other cities, but that definitely was a new one! Anyone know what the SC earn is from BNE to OOL?

 

[anat0l]

Never had anything like that happen to me before

BNE-OOL would have been a flight offering many, many decades ago.

Not saying you'll get any SCs, but otherwise BNE/OOL would theoretically give you 10 SC in discount Y, etc.

You can fly (not by diversion, really can book it) GLT/ROK, which is about the same great circle distance as BNE-OOL. It's part of the milk run flight from BNE to CNS. During that flight, you take off, no service, then land, simple as that. That's probably the shortest scheduled flight in Australia that I can think of; wouldn't be surprised if there was an even shorter one.

 

[AIRwin]

Have many others had something like that happen?

I've read some:

Thread 'Have you been on a flight that diverted?'

Oct 29, 2025

Have you boarded a flight and then landed at an airport that wasn't the intended destination?

I had a diversion about a decade ago on a domestic flight in Brazil. Took off from CGH bound for CNF, but after circling over Belo Horizonte for some time and being unable to land due to the weather, we ended up returning to Sao Paulo. Ultimately we didn't have enough fuel to make it all the way back to Sao Paulo though, so we diverted to Viracopos.

(From there, unfortunately the airline handled the situation really poorly. After a long wait and no communication, wee ended up getting put on...

• Mattg
• Replies: 53
• Forum: Aviation Enthusiast Discussion

• 

 

[Captain Halliday]

51nm according to GC map.

The QF sector ROK-GLT is 50nm.

Technically, I think the honour for the shortest commercial sector in Australia is still held by Hinterland Aviation which operates two flights per day, 6 days per week, KUG-BDD. A distance of 5nm.



This scenic 10 minute flight is available for just $289 if you want to tick it off your list.

The aircraft the operates this service has just 14 seats, so this seems like it could apply to every flight:

 

[i0sam0i]

Technically, I think the honour for the shortest commercial sector in Australia is still held by Hinterland Aviation which operates two flights per day, 6 days per week, KUG-BDD. A distance of 5nm.

View attachment 504460

This scenic 10 minute flight is available for just $289 if you want to tick it off your list.

The aircraft the operates this service has just 14 seats, so this seems like it could apply to every flight:

Have done that flight, have also been diverted from Kubin to Moa, then haven't been able to land at Moa so returned to Horn Island

 

[Mwenenzi]

Definitely one for the memory books today - I think I was on one of the shortest flights that can be done in Australia today by pure accident!

I was on QF594 SYD - OOL, and we were required to land in BNE because of issues with the navigation equipment. We landed at BNE, stayed on the plane while they fixed the part (on the ground about 45 minutes total) before being back in the air and landing at OOL about 80 minutes late. BNE

About 18 months ago had a QF ticket CHC-BNE-MEL (DSC)
Thunderstorms temporarily closed BNE, so landed at MCY. After a refuel and a wait onto BNE.
As had missed the connecting flight QF put me in a hotel on the Gold Coast for the night (Taxi fare ~ $175 each way)

MCY-BNE is 5 miles shorter than BNE-OOL

A map from the Great Circle Mapper

A map from the Great Circle Mapper

www.gcmap.com

 

[Groundfeeder]

Did scheduled OOL-BNE in a Navajo years back for an interview at the intended company's insistence.
Great views as usual.

 

[SYD]

PQQ-TRO (37nm) used to be the regular tag flight from SYD on East-West and latter Eastern Australian (now QF Link).

SYD-PQQ-TRO-SYD.

 

[markis10]

You can fly (not by diversion, really can book it) GLT/ROK, which is about the same great circle distance as BNE-OOL. It's part of the milk run flight from BNE to CNS. During that flight, you take off, no service, then land, simple as that.

GLT-ROK has not been bookable since they upgraded GLT airport. There used to be three milk runs a day but there is just the one now which stops at ROK.

 

[serfty]

BNE-OOL would have been a flight offering many, many decades ago.

Try 2½ decades.

I used to regularly fly QF BNE/MCY on a SH6. Blocked at 40 minutes, generally a 25 minute flight time.

Once it was operated by a DH8, 12 minutes from old BNE 32(?) to MCY 31; hardly turned

 

[Flyfrequently]

Try 2½ decades.

I used to regularly fly QF BNE/MCY on a SH6.

Loved this flight going up along the coastline @serfty
Think I last did it late '90's maybe early 2000 - memory fails me!

 

[CaptJCool]

Loved this flight going up along the coastline @serfty
Think I last did it late '90's maybe early 2000 - memory fails me!

Made famous by Senator Colston flying back and forth …. In 1997, Colston was charged by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions with 28 charges of defrauding the Commonwealth by allegedly misusing his parliamentary travel allowance