Why schedule a large QF freighter at peak hour?

[Melburnian1]

QF7524 from CHC to SYD on Wednesday 23 March (B763ER VH-EFR) is timetabled into SYD at 0740 hours.

This is a valuable slot that a passenger aircraft could use. With SYD being constrained to 80 aircraft movements an hour (and 20 every 15 minutes, an additional limitation), wouldn't it make sense for QF to timetable this freight movement into SYD at a quieter time (say 1200 'high noon') to free up a slot for a passenger aircraft? I appreciate that freighters can have worldwide schedules but it seems a bit sub-optimal to have a freight aircraft occupying a timeslot at a busy time of the day.

I assume that the slot used is one allocated to QF so it could not (without QF's agreement) be transferred to another airline. Does this go on in SYD at least occasionally like how at LHR slots change hands, or are leased to other airlines, for millions of pounds?

 

[Altair]

A five hour delay may mean that the freight may not be forwarded in time to make contractual agreements.
I do not know who controls the slots eg. the airline or the airport but obviously this fits into QF schedule.

 

[downgraded]

You assume the passenger cargo is more valuable than the freight.

 

[cwphoto]

You assume the passenger cargo is more valuable than the freight.

Which in terms of yield it most certainly is not.

 

[Mattg]

The 767 in question flies in a SYD-AKL-CHC-SYD triange overnight, leaving SYD around 10pm. This is not only good aircraft utilisation but allows QF to transport overnight (a.k.a. high-yielding) cargo in both directions across the ditch. In my view this makes good business sense.

 

[Boris spatsky]

The slots are allocated by the airport to each airline. I assume this slot is either 1) a recent addition or 2) swapped amongst other QF group aircraft. The slot allocation is quite complex with a number of variables. As mattg said though, this one seems to make good business sense.