Great information James! Very interesting! Thanks

On the topic of the QF 380s.. this isnt good news for them:
https://michaelwest.com.au/wing-crac...ef-alan-joyce/

"The aircraft requiring maintenance are part of a global call-in of first generation A380 aircraft that is also expected to affect Singapore Airlines and Emirates. Each aircraft faces about 50 days out of service as engineers scour the critical “spar” infrastructure in the wing for cracks. "

VH-XMB was ferried to ASP and has now been deleted from the register. One must assume that it is being scrapped there.

As I predicted a few weeks ago A380 OQA is scheduled to fly out of Victorville on Thursday 22nd September to Lax for gear swing and maintenance then onwards for refurbishment.

Thanks for the information, Neil. Does your source know where OQA will be refurbished - AUH or DRS? My bet would be AUH, maybe to coincide with OQG returning to service.

A332 VH-EBP operated QANTAS' first flight QF67 to Bengaluru yesterday 14/9/22, which returned as QF68 today.

Also, A333 VH-OPB operated QF25 from SYD to HND on 12/9/22, which returned today as QF26, with QANTAS resuming services to Tokyo.

Does anyone know why OQJ has been in SYD since 31 August??

Dennis, QANTAS received its fifth operational A380 in early August from maintenance in AUH and the timetable showed that QF11/12 would be operated on a six day per week basis from 11 August, 2022. Since then the operation with the A380 on this route has been three days per week or less, which means that QANTAS only needs four A380s - three for QF1/2 and one for QF11/12.

Therefore a serviceable A380 spends time out in either SYD or LAX. It looks as though six day per week services on QF11/12 are now due to resume on 30 October, 2022 at the start of the NW schedules.

Rather than the spare A380 sitting in Sydney doing nothing why not deploy on the MEL-LAX route given the demand is there for it?

Lack of crew, having a spare doesn’t require more crew but gives upside in unexpected outcomes

VH-OQA will be leaving Victorville for LAX as QF6023 at 1530 local today. Was originally scheduled for last Thursday but better late than never.

Nancy-Bird Walton has departed VCV and is now en route to LAX.

Thank you Neil for the information on OQA leaving long-term storage. This leaves just two QANTAS A380s remaining at VCV - OQI & OQL, apart from the recently parted out OQE & OQF.

VH-QPG has been in Brisbane since04/22, seems a long time for maintenance, has it just been stored or is their another issue?

Jamie, when this question was asked on 20/8/22 the answer was that QPG was having a C check so I guess that this is still the case.

Have been at the back of the Airport. The QF hanger is closed with EBD nose up to the doors, I guess EBB is still inside. QPG is there with some work being done on the rear of the tail by the look of "tape"etc. Could not get a pic as was raining, bugger. All other hanger doors closed, Nauru, Alliance. Outside the old ITB was Jetstar 788 VKL which had arrived from DPS last night.

A change of pace here [not seen these reported here]

All 717s except VH-YQW now in Silver Roo - Anyone know the National parks names for VH-NXH, VH-YQX, YQY please?

Dash 8-400 VH-LQJ now in Silver Roo - named Jervis Bay. Four remain in old scheme, and 3 likely have names:
VH-LQG Cowes
VH-LQM Ulladulla
VH-LQQ Darling Downs
VH-LQK [name unknown].

and VH-TQM is Merimbula.

Hi Peter,

This may fill in some of the gaps

https://www.planespotters.net/airline/QantasLink

Thanks Greg,

That is my base data... and those are the gaps I could not resolve!!

cheers

The remaining Q400s are now painted in silver roo livery with LQQ the last one done from September 17 to September 30.

TQS, YQV and YQW are the only aircraft not yet painted in silver roo for QantasLink, although YQV has a name and the retro nose art


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Thanks Zac - all coming together now.

Qantas's fleet list has a new 'future' addition.
https://www.planespotters.net/airfra...-qantas/eyq7ok

What is the deal with the massive delays that have been going on the last 4 days on QF1 & 2? Could be wrong, but assuming it's maintenance related? If so, why aren't they using OQJ which has been driving around SYD airport for over a month?

Probably staff rather than hardware. The pool of talent for such a small fleet must limit options at times.

OQJ driving around SYD airport? OQJ is in maintenance in H96 until the end of October at least. QF 1 & 2 delays were maintenance related.

With the completion of the northern summer season QF5/QF6 SYD-PER-FCO flights, B789 VH-ZNI is heading for Singapore for its 3 year Heavy Maintenance today as QF6017.

Was just going to post that Peter. Any idea how long ZNI will be up there for?

ZNA thru ZND took an average of 17 days (in Hong Kong during Jan to Mar 2021)

ZNE thru ZNH took an average of 16 days ( in Singapore during Sep to Nov 2021) ZNF was last of these 4 as it had been in storage at LAX (was flown direct from LAX)

Longest 19 days (HKG), shortest 15 days (SIN)

No surprise to see Qantas expecting the 787s now next quarter.

Any news on when ZNL/M/N would be delivered to QF? Last I heard QF was expecting ZNL in early 2023?

ZNN (to be) ferried from VCV-PAE yesterday as BOE282.

Note: this was to be a logo jet

Payne Field Blog notes the arrival but only displays a pic of its departure for VCV back on 12 Nov 2020 2020 image

Here's a photo of VH-ZNN arriving at PAE on 13oct22:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/thegre...s/52425898406/

Troubles with B789 VH-ZNA &/or crew timings ?

After diverting to Brisbane with QF8 DFW_SYD Tuesday morning, VH-ZNA completed the route to Sydney. The aircraft then positioned to Melbourne where it underwent some maintenance procedures, before taking a delayed QF9 to Perth. A day later it is now returning to Melbourne with QF10 at 29000' rather than the usual 40000'.

Edit : B789 VH-ZNC having operated Thursday's QF9 MEL-PER sector is now taking the 24hr delayed Wednesday QF9 on to London as QF7009. Meanwhile B789 VH-ZNG which operated the LHR-PER sector of QF10 completed to Melbourne by VH-ZNA, was supposed to turn around and operate Wednesday's QF9 PER-LHR sector 2 hours behind VH-ZNC. This flight has now been delayed until at least 10:45 AWST Thursday

VH-ZNA is currently SW of Hawaii on its way to LAX from MEL. It would be interesting to know whether there is an issue, but there's nothing in the flights themselves that says anything obvious.

My FIL was on QF8 the day after the diversion to BNE, and we assumed it had been headwind related. His flight the day after on ZNK was unremarkable apart from an hour or so delay out of DFW.

Interesting flight path for B789 VH-ZNI returning from Heavy Maintenance at Singapore to Sydney earlier today ... QF6016 flight path

The flight ended in Perth, with ZNI taking the 2nd 26+ hour delayed QF9 to LHR as QF7009, 105 minutes behind today's QF9 (B789 VH-ZNH).

Begs the question as to what has happened to VH-ZNG which arrived in Perth with QF10 more or less on time on Wednesday morning.

Looks like QF have removed all planned additional A380 flying (MEL-LAX) and as a result trimmed other 787 frequencies to cover:

https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/221020-qfns23intl

Anyone know what's going on with the lack of A380 fleet?

Brad, it is an ongoing issue with the resumption of QANTAS A380 services being put back. QF11/12 was due to increase A380 frequencies from 3 to 6 pw from August, which has been put back to December, 2022. QF93/94 was due to be operated by A380s 3 pw from 2/12/22 and 6 pw from 25/3/23 which has now been shelved.

QANTAS has four A380s currently operating (OQB, OQD, OQH, OQK) - three for QF1/2 daily and one for QF11/12 two or three times per week. OQJ would have increased this to five to operate the increased A380 QF11/12 flights but after resuming flying in June has been in maintenance in SYD since 31/8/22. OQG has been in maintenance in AUH since 30/7/22 and it was presumed that when these two A380s resumed flying the increased A380 services from December would be achieved with the six aircraft. The next A380, possibly OQA, would have had maintenance and refurbishment in time to operate the increased QF93/94 services from late March, 2023.

But this schedule has now been put back for reasons unknown. Is the maintenance work required on the A380s taking longer than planned? Is there a tech crew shortage to fly them? Do forward bookings not justify the increase in seats deployed? This last question does not seem to be true with other airlines on North American services increasing flights - United, Delta and Air Canada, with American returning at the end on this month. Or some other reason or reasons.

It would be very interesting to hear from someone in the know as to what is delaying the return of previously planned A380 services.

The A380s are required to undergo checks on their wing spars per an EASA airworthiness directive, which is what's happening to OQJ now. Others that are in service currently (not sure whether all four, but I would assume so given timings) will require this same check in turn after OQJ.

https://services.casa.gov.au/airwort...022-0174R1.pdf

Thanks very much for the information, Rowan.

Do you know how long the inspections should take per aircraft and whether any of the other QANTAS A380s are currently having these inspections done at other locations? Such as OQC and OQG in AUH or OQA in LAX?