Welcome to the April edition of the Australian Aviation Thread. Please continue add your comments below. Link to March edition viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1356643

Please note: Moderators have decided to let all country/regional aviation threads like this thread be a month long thread instead of the usual 200-250 post limit as per before

QF to go daily on SYD-DPS from end of March, in May will only service 4 weekly
Malindo to start KUL-DPS-BNE from 31 March 17
VA PER-AUH flights canned
PX to start TSV-POM
AC downgraded BNE to 788
AirAsiaX to start BNE, 4 weekly from June
VA and its alliance partners
CX to operate non-stops to BNE & CNS for NW18 instead of the usual HKG-CNS-BNE routing
FlyPelican partners with Velocity FF
Airnorth increasing Wellcamp to MEL to 10 weekly in May, and 12 weekly in June
QF opens BNE lounge
QF asks for Taiwan allocations to be withdrawn
NZ to operate 789 3 weekly to ADL over NW18
QR to go back to daily services to ADL from 2 Dec 17
2 QF flight attendants injured during turbulence on a PER-CBR flight
Australia to Mexico market
CX to go double daily A359 on MEL-HKG and introduce A359 to PER from 29 Oct 17
VA to start MEL-HKG, 5 weekly from 5 July 17
SQ reviewing SIN-CBR-WLG
VA to use EK lounge at LAX
Missing prop found from ZL768
QF’s first 789 to registered VH-ZNA
QF claims ontime figures for February
QF’s LHR flights affected by weather at DXB again, VH-OQA suffers birdstrike while diverting to MCT
Malindo to reduce PER to 10 weekly from 24 April 17
QF granted unlimited frequency/capacity to China
Beijing Capital plans 2 weekly TAO-SYD from 9 August 17
QF to keep lounge open at T1 in PER
SA JNB-PER ops
QF to codeshare on LA’s MEL-SCL
MK loads factors to PER
ATSB releases preliminary report on Essendon Airport crash
QF to operate 744 to AKL for 4 days in July
QF seasonal upgrades PER-SIN to A332 5 days a week in July
VA launches Economy X extra legroom seats
VA to begin trials on WIFI in April
SQ207/208 to MEL to be upgraded to daily A359 service
EK405 MEL-SIN-DXB gets too close to a TZ 789 in SIN
Final NZ 767 flight

EK will use 77L on some flights on EK424/425 to PER in early May

http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/air ... e-changes/

B738 9M-LNQ operating Malindo OD157 inaugural KUL-DPS-BNE.

BITRE for January is now available

https://bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoi ... y_1701.pdf

A couple of things that stood out

Jin Air which was only operating 2 weekly seasonal flights to CNS had an inbound LF of 98.4% and outbound of 95%, in December they recorded 95% inbound and 83.8% outbound.
VA's poor performance to/from PNG inbound at only 27.8% while outbound was 43.2%

I see QF 380s are still a bit out of whack. Yesterday's QF1 copped an overnight delay - waiting for OQF to come in from Dallas.

This was announced in the terminal at about 3pm ... Although the boards had rather tellingly been showing the flight number as QF1D from just after 1pm

qf789 wrote:

BITRE for January is now available

https://bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoi ... y_1701.pdf

A couple of things that stood out

Jin Air which was only operating 2 weekly seasonal flights to CNS had an inbound LF of 98.4% and outbound of 95%, in December they recorded 95% inbound and 83.8% outbound.
VA's poor performance to/from PNG inbound at only 27.8% while outbound was 43.2%

VA will really be suffering now to POM now that QF is on the route daily as well, though PX has cut back to a daily service (use to be closer to 12x weekly). As a comparison, QF was 67% inbound, 50% outbound & PX was 49% inbound and 64% outbound. VA is on the route 6x weekly and they must be taking some expensive freight to justify the service. VA also struggled on their Honiara service which sat at about 35% inbound and outbound. Solomon Airlines was 54% & 44%. Before we all jump on the "load factor doesn't mean they are making money" and vice versa... yes I know! But VA is normally cheaper to the PNG and the Solomons than QF/PX/IE so it's not a good sign.

Air Canada's BNE flight saw 96.5% inbound and 70% outbound & EVA seems to be going OK with their increased BNE service which pulled 91% inbound and 74% outbound.

As previously mentioned SQ will fly the A350 to PER this Wednesday operating SQ213/226. On departure from PER SQ226 will do a low flyover (1500 feet) of Perth city

VA relaunching MEL-LAX today, hopefully they can stick it out this time!

https://www.ausbt.com.au/virgin-austral ... es-flights

Qantas to start inflight WIFI from this Friday

https://www.ausbt.com.au/qantas-to-star ... ay-april-7

9V-SMK is the A359 operating to PER today

https://www.flightradar24.com/SIA213/cf50204

Lots of love the Shenzhen today

Hainan Airlines applied for 3 weekly Shenzhen - Brisbane from October

https://twitter.com/Airlineroute/status ... 7134942208

China Southern applied for 7 weekly Shenzhen - Melbourne service from July 2017. CA have already been approved for 4 weekly SZX-MEL but not yet commenced operations, strange things going on.

https://twitter.com/Airlineroute/status ... 2167041027

AFR piece on SYD-LHR non-stop

Flight would be viable providing oil prices don't go above $70 a barrel
Flights could start in 5 years (2022)
QF is pushing both Airbus and Boeing for an aircraft with the range to carry around 300 passengers
A359ULR seems to be of more interest now

Airbus has increased the range of its A350-900ULR to 9700 nautical miles (17,960 kms) from the 8700 nautical miles announced when it sold the plane to Singapore Airlines in 2015 for delivery next year, a spokesman said. Including headwinds, the Sydney-London flight is equivalent to 9600 nautical miles.
"These aircraft, we think, are potentially real goers on these routes," Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said of the A350-900ULR and the bigger,but less advanced Boeing 777-8. "You know from what they have done on other aircraft that Sydney-London and Melbourne-London has real possibility."

http://www.afr.com/business/transport/a ... 405-gvepuk

qf789 wrote:

AFR piece on SYD-LHR non-stop

Flight would be viable providing oil prices don't go above $70 a barrel
Flights could start in 5 years (2022)
QF is pushing both Airbus and Boeing for an aircraft with the range to carry around 300 passengers
A359ULR seems to be of more interest now

Airbus has increased the range of its A350-900ULR to 9700 nautical miles (17,960 kms) from the 8700 nautical miles announced when it sold the plane to Singapore Airlines in 2015 for delivery next year, a spokesman said. Including headwinds, the Sydney-London flight is equivalent to 9600 nautical miles.
"These aircraft, we think, are potentially real goers on these routes," Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said of the A350-900ULR and the bigger,but less advanced Boeing 777-8. "You know from what they have done on other aircraft that Sydney-London and Melbourne-London has real possibility."

http://www.afr.com/business/transport/a ... 405-gvepuk

Must be fun to get stuck in Y for 24 hrs. Supersonic travel should be a pre-requisite for distance like this.

qf789 wrote:

EK will use 77L on some flights on EK424/425 to PER in early May

http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/air ... e-changes/

EK424/425 has been operated by a mix of 77L and 77W ever since it was downgauged from the A380. Surely this service is hanging by a thread.

qf789 wrote:

AFR piece on SYD-LHR non-stop

Flight would be viable providing oil prices don't go above $70 a barrel
Flights could start in 5 years (2022)
QF is pushing both Airbus and Boeing for an aircraft with the range to carry around 300 passengers
A359ULR seems to be of more interest now

Airbus has increased the range of its A350-900ULR to 9700 nautical miles (17,960 kms) from the 8700 nautical miles announced when it sold the plane to Singapore Airlines in 2015 for delivery next year, a spokesman said. Including headwinds, the Sydney-London flight is equivalent to 9600 nautical miles.
"These aircraft, we think, are potentially real goers on these routes," Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said of the A350-900ULR and the bigger,but less advanced Boeing 777-8. "You know from what they have done on other aircraft that Sydney-London and Melbourne-London has real possibility."

http://www.afr.com/business/transport/a ... 405-gvepuk

Interesting, I wonder though is the A350-1000 big enough for QF? I could see this as a joint order for an aircraft family looking at ULR and higher capacity long haul to replace/supliment the 744 and 380 in the long term. I can't see the ULR fleet being big enough to justify a seperate fleet. I see this as a 778/779 VS A359/10 as a combined family. With the 789 and 781 potentially doing thinner long haul (not -ULR) and replacing Asia. However the 380 deposits maybe swapped for the 350s, depends on the contract I would have no clue in this area.

ATSB has released final report into MH A333 hard landing at MEL in March 2015

http://www.airlineratings.com/news/1146 ... rd-landing

The future of low level fly pasts are in doubt after a drone came with 300 feet of the SQ A359 flypast in Perth yesterday

http://image.airlineratings.com/articles/758A9564.jpg

Another drone incident, a VA flight has reported to authorities that a drone came within 100 metres of the aircraft while on approach to CBR on Wednesday afternoon

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western ... 1b735b7eca

F100Flyer wrote:

qf789 wrote:

EK will use 77L on some flights on EK424/425 to PER in early May

http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/air ... e-changes/

EK424/425 has been operated by a mix of 77L and 77W ever since it was downgauged from the A380. Surely this service is hanging by a thread.

I wonder why it would be performing badly (assuming that it is). PER has seemed to work well for EK... surely EY and QR aren't going that well that EK would be 'in trouble', and it's far too early for the QF PER-LHR to be having any affect. Would have to be related to mining/resources downturn.

DeltaB717 wrote:

F100Flyer wrote:

qf789 wrote:

EK will use 77L on some flights on EK424/425 to PER in early May

http://www.routesonline.com/news/38/air ... e-changes/

EK424/425 has been operated by a mix of 77L and 77W ever since it was downgauged from the A380. Surely this service is hanging by a thread.

I wonder why it would be performing badly (assuming that it is). PER has seemed to work well for EK... surely EY and QR aren't going that well that EK would be 'in trouble', and it's far too early for the QF PER-LHR to be having any affect. Would have to be related to mining/resources downturn.

There are range of factors in play here. The economy here in WA is in the sewers and has been for a while, some would go as far as technically we are in a recession and there is nothing on the horizon that looks promising at the moment. Consumers are not spending like they use to. Both businesses and leisure travellers are looking at cheaper alternatives whether it be a cheaper destination or airline. Typically EK is more expensive than EY/QR. Load factor wise from what I have been told seem to be similar though I will run some numbers later today. I would also imagine that while load factors are down EK would probably be carrying a fair amount of freight on EK424/425 to make the flight viable.

MH examing the continued viability of the DRW-KUL flight.

Part of the problem with EK424/5 is the timings don't allow for any connections, and even for Perth locals the timings are pretty terrible

According to FlightAware and FlightRadar, today TT464 ADL-MEL was operated by Alliance Airlines Fokker 100 VH-XWO instead of the usual Tigerair a320/737. Does anyone know what this is all about? Is Tiger still having issues with its 737 crewing?

743Flyer wrote:

According to FlightAware and FlightRadar, today TT464 ADL-MEL was operated by Alliance Airlines Fokker 100 VH-XWO instead of the usual Tigerair a320/737. Does anyone know what this is all about? Is Tiger still having issues with its 737 crewing?

VH-VOR has been doing VA INTL runs, so maybe that is why.

jrfspa320 wrote:

Part of the problem with EK424/5 is the timings don't allow for any connections, and even for Perth locals the timings are pretty terrible

That probably has very little to do with it. Those arriving on EK420 do not allow for connections either

downdata wrote:

Must be fun to get stuck in Y for 24 hrs. Supersonic travel should be a pre-requisite for distance like this.

No. Just no. I've had my limit at 5hrs. Don't think that will be a popular route at all. How they would even be able to cater for that many pax for 3 substantial meals plus snacks, don't know. It's bad enough being on longhaul flights now and being underfed. You'd be pissed as hell to only get fed twice in 24hrs. Hate to be a flight attendant doing that run and imagine the air rage with that many people, confined space, alcohol and 24hrs. Sounds like a plot to a B grade movie.

BallsUp wrote:

downdata wrote:

Must be fun to get stuck in Y for 24 hrs. Supersonic travel should be a pre-requisite for distance like this.

No. Just no. I've had my limit at 5hrs. Don't think that will be a popular route at all. How they would even be able to cater for that many pax for 3 substantial meals plus snacks, don't know. It's bad enough being on longhaul flights now and being underfed. You'd be pissed as hell to only get fed twice in 24hrs. Hate to be a flight attendant doing that run and imagine the air rage with that many people, confined space, alcohol and 24hrs. Sounds like a plot to a B grade movie.

But thousands of people already do this everyday, with the added intrusion of having to pack up, land, get off, sit around a terminal for 90-120 minutes, board again for the 2nd leg of the trip. I know people argue that it's too long, but there are plenty who will argue that if they can get a non stop they'll take it. I'd take it, assuming any premium isn't to much, I'm budget conscious, but if there is value in saving time then I'll be in on it.

jrfspa320 wrote:

Part of the problem with EK424/5 is the timings don't allow for any connections, and even for Perth locals the timings are pretty terrible

It's crazy to think EK was once 21 x weekly to PER and now they can barely fill a twice daily flight!

I wish QF would hand over PER-AKL to EK and allow them to operate it daily year round. They could re-time EK 425/424 to something along the following schedule:

EK424 DXB 0910 PER 2350
EK424 PER 0120 AKL 1045
EK425 AKL 1220 PER 1555
EK425 PER 1710 DXB 0020+1

ben175 wrote:

jrfspa320 wrote:

Part of the problem with EK424/5 is the timings don't allow for any connections, and even for Perth locals the timings are pretty terrible

It's crazy to think EK was once 21 x weekly to PER and now they can barely fill a twice daily flight!

I wish QF would hand over PER-AKL to EK and allow them to operate it daily year round. They could re-time EK 425/424 to something along the following schedule:

EK424 DXB 0910 PER 2350
EK424 PER 0120 AKL 1045
EK425 AKL 1220 PER 1555
EK425 PER 1710 DXB 0020+1

While EK operated 3 daily flights before the introduction of A388's the EK422/423 flight was a poor performer during certain times of the year. Also you need to take into account that this flight was also ditched a couple of years ago and since then the WA economy has gone south ever since.

You also need to remember that PER-AKL is only operated 2 weekly during peak season by QF, so what benefit would it be to hand over EK. PER-AKL is also very seasonal so unless EK wants to fly empty planes during the off season its non starter

I remember way back in the day 2003 when EK announced AKL a few of us here thought they would do it from PER, I was very surprised when they announced it from SYD/MEL BNE started a few months later.

You have to remember EK are maxed out on Tasman rights at 4x daily otherwise I think being EK they might have done PER-AKL/CHC or put a 772 into WLG from somewhere.

How's Singapore airlines doing at Adelaide?
At first I didn't realise they flew to Adelaide

BallsUp wrote:

downdata wrote:

Must be fun to get stuck in Y for 24 hrs. Supersonic travel should be a pre-requisite for distance like this.

No. Just no. I've had my limit at 5hrs. Don't think that will be a popular route at all. How they would even be able to cater for that many pax for 3 substantial meals plus snacks, don't know. It's bad enough being on longhaul flights now and being underfed. You'd be pissed as hell to only get fed twice in 24hrs. Hate to be a flight attendant doing that run and imagine the air rage with that many people, confined space, alcohol and 24hrs. Sounds like a plot to a B grade movie.

I would very gladly fly this in economy, and a lot of other people would do the same. The time saving is totally worth it.

If you're "limit" is 5 hours then somehow I don't think you are in the target market for this route. Just because you don't want to fly it doesn't mean that it will be very successful.

TheGeordielad wrote:

How's Singapore airlines doing at Adelaide?
At first I didn't realise they flew to Adelaide

They have been there since 1984, they currently run a daily A333. Some years they have gone up to 10-12 weekly though EK and QR have arrived in recent years, it seems to be a growing market but it's not huge. CX and MH also serve ADL.

BallsUp wrote:

downdata wrote:

Must be fun to get stuck in Y for 24 hrs. Supersonic travel should be a pre-requisite for distance like this.

No. Just no. I've had my limit at 5hrs. Don't think that will be a popular route at all. How they would even be able to cater for that many pax for 3 substantial meals plus snacks, don't know. It's bad enough being on longhaul flights now and being underfed. You'd be pissed as hell to only get fed twice in 24hrs. Hate to be a flight attendant doing that run and imagine the air rage with that many people, confined space, alcohol and 24hrs. Sounds like a plot to a B grade movie.

As I have travelled a lot, I try and avoid flights between 4 and 10 hours. Below that, the flight isn't very long, and above 10h, you can sleep. I prefer 16h flights to 12h flights, because you have time to sleep and relax, whereas you are usually choosing between the two.

BallsUp wrote:

downdata wrote:

Must be fun to get stuck in Y for 24 hrs. Supersonic travel should be a pre-requisite for distance like this.

No. Just no. I've had my limit at 5hrs. Don't think that will be a popular route at all. How they would even be able to cater for that many pax for 3 substantial meals plus snacks, don't know. It's bad enough being on longhaul flights now and being underfed. You'd be pissed as hell to only get fed twice in 24hrs. Hate to be a flight attendant doing that run and imagine the air rage with that many people, confined space, alcohol and 24hrs. Sounds like a plot to a B grade movie.

What? Just because your limit is 5hrs, you automatically assume that anything over that cannot work? What a strange logic. There are flights longer than 17.5hrs you know, and Qantas has experience with ULH routes like QF7/8. Not to mention the other airlines that make such routes apparently successful. The market is just simply not for you.

So QF93 is cancelled for today - "extensive damage to aircraft (VH-OQF) from lightning strike" was the announcement made in the lounge just now

Gasman wrote:

So QF93 is cancelled for today - "extensive damage to aircraft (VH-OQF) from lightning strike" was the announcement made in the lounge just now

Doesn't sound good, hope it can return to service asap. QF hasn't had a good run with the A380's lately

BallsUp wrote:

downdata wrote:

Must be fun to get stuck in Y for 24 hrs. Supersonic travel should be a pre-requisite for distance like this.

No. Just no. I've had my limit at 5hrs. Don't think that will be a popular route at all. How they would even be able to cater for that many pax for 3 substantial meals plus snacks, don't know. It's bad enough being on longhaul flights now and being underfed. You'd be pissed as hell to only get fed twice in 24hrs. Hate to be a flight attendant doing that run and imagine the air rage with that many people, confined space, alcohol and 24hrs. Sounds like a plot to a B grade movie.

You must not travel far from home... from Australia anything less than 5hrs is a short flight. Apart from New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands, the rest of the world is well over 5hrs away. From BNE/SYD/MEL to the key 'nearby'cities in Asia those flights are 8hrs plus.... then you have the onward connections to Europe. I have done quick trips to HKG a number of times often for less than a day of work up there before flying back again, you do it enough you get accustomed to it and it becomes a short hop!

Anyway, a flight from SYD-LHR is NOT going to be 24hrs long as some state on here...as it is currently around 23hrs including stopovers via Asia or the Middle East, take out the stop and fly a more direct route you will find the flight would be more like only 19-20hrs. Which I would take in a heart beat to avoid a stopover and the hassle of breaking into your sleep which you might have just got settled into, packing up, lugging all your stuff off, going through transit screening, queuing up to board again. I have done the SYD-DFW flight a few times at around 16 hrs in Economy (and I'm 6'6/2m tall), just a few more hours would be no problem at all.

Qantas 737-800 VH-VZR conducted a missed approach at MEL yesterday operating QF495 from SYD after the right main landing gear was reported as unsafe. The aircraft landed about 25 minutes later

http://avherald.com/h?article=4a75cb8f&opt=0

With PER-LHR flights expected to go on sale soon a price war is expected to erupt

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western ... 5ee96125d6

I'm excited about Air Asia X starting BNE - any further word on this route?

Goodbye wrote:

I'm excited about Air Asia X starting BNE - any further word on this route?

All we have so far is that BAC have published it in their June timetables and D7 has expressed interest in the past.

In the BAC timetables (http://www.bne.com.au/sites/all/files/c ... 202017.pdf), service is scheduled 4x weekly (1,2,4,6). Arrival time into BNE of 0445 as D7 272 and departs at 0600 as D7 273. First service would arrive into Brisbane on the 3rd of June.

Air Asia X appeared in BAC's timetables last year as well and obviously never eventuated so I wouldn't say anything is locked in. If it was, D7 would have announced it already...

One could assume this service would replace the OOL-terminating service which currently operates 4x weekly (leaving the daily KUL-OOL-AKL service).

The Forrestfield - Perth Airport link is facing delays and trains to the airport may not be running by the end of 2020 as expected

http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western ... 3ba7e4447c

Australian PM is in India for a 4 day tour. Are there any Aviation deals on table?

anshabhi wrote:

Australian PM is in India for a 4 day tour. Are there any Aviation deals on table?

Not likely more to do with trade, security and energy

AA72 has returned to SYD due to a medical emergency on board

https://twitter.com/flightradar24

Re: air asia at BNE.

If it happens there won't be any reductions to OOL. It will be standalone.

Anyone know if it's possible to book a ZL/VA connecting ticket? Trying to book one-way from BHQ to BNE and hope to book it as one ticket as the connections are relatively tight and I don't want to be left stranded in ADL after missing my connecting flight and forced to pay for a new flight.

Hi every one is there any chance of KE coming back to Melbourne ?

MH examing the continued viability of the DRW-KUL flight.

What have they been flying into Darwin 330 or 737s?