Virgin Blue Holiday Chaos
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Virgin Blue Holiday Chaos
From the SMH:
Thousands of Virgin Blue passengers are stranded at airports around Australia after flight schedules were disrupted at the height of the Christmas rush by a mechanical problem in one aircraft.
Virgin Blue said many flights had been delayed and a handful cancelled across Australia today because the plane needed unscheduled maintenance - less than 48 hours before Christmas.
"Unscheduled maintenance was required on one aircraft and we're waiting for a part," Virgin Blue spokeswoman Amanda Bolger said.
Most passengers were being delayed by "a couple of hours" because of the flow-on impact, she said.
Virgin Blue could not say how many flights or how many passengers had been affected by the delays, but there are reports hundreds of passengers are cramming the terminal at Sydney Airport.
A spare aircraft, which would normally be used to ferry passengers whose flights had been delayed, was not available because it was being used in a charity flight.
"That aircraft would be our operational spare but we're using it today for this charity flight," Ms Bolger said.
Passengers held up at airports around Australia were being placed on other flights during what was the busiest time of the year, she said.
Virgin Blue assured customers they would get to their destinations in time for Christmas and promised to rectify the delays "as soon as possible".
"Our priority is getting people where they're going in time for Christmas," Ms Bolger said.
Thousands of Virgin Blue passengers are stranded at airports around Australia after flight schedules were disrupted at the height of the Christmas rush by a mechanical problem in one aircraft.
Virgin Blue said many flights had been delayed and a handful cancelled across Australia today because the plane needed unscheduled maintenance - less than 48 hours before Christmas.
"Unscheduled maintenance was required on one aircraft and we're waiting for a part," Virgin Blue spokeswoman Amanda Bolger said.
Most passengers were being delayed by "a couple of hours" because of the flow-on impact, she said.
Virgin Blue could not say how many flights or how many passengers had been affected by the delays, but there are reports hundreds of passengers are cramming the terminal at Sydney Airport.
A spare aircraft, which would normally be used to ferry passengers whose flights had been delayed, was not available because it was being used in a charity flight.
"That aircraft would be our operational spare but we're using it today for this charity flight," Ms Bolger said.
Passengers held up at airports around Australia were being placed on other flights during what was the busiest time of the year, she said.
Virgin Blue assured customers they would get to their destinations in time for Christmas and promised to rectify the delays "as soon as possible".
"Our priority is getting people where they're going in time for Christmas," Ms Bolger said.
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Aircraft sitting on the ground do not earn money. Therefore an airline's daily flying program is a tightly linked series of flights and minimum turn arounds. There is very little 'fat' in the program to absorb an unexpected unservicability.
Sounds like VB usually have one aircraft that can be used, but as Murphy would have it the day they use it for a charity event is the day they need it. Makes you wonder about the wisdom of having a charity event during one of the busiest flying periods of the year. I'm sure whatever good PR they've gained from the charity event is more than offset by the bad PR of having passengers Christmas travel plans disrupted.
Sounds like VB usually have one aircraft that can be used, but as Murphy would have it the day they use it for a charity event is the day they need it. Makes you wonder about the wisdom of having a charity event during one of the busiest flying periods of the year. I'm sure whatever good PR they've gained from the charity event is more than offset by the bad PR of having passengers Christmas travel plans disrupted.
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Same down at QF this morning, just ask the punters on the 0815 flight going to Perth. I think the last lot got on 789 which was over three hours late !
Never any different this time of the year - ****e happens.
Get over it.
Never any different this time of the year - ****e happens.
Get over it.
Sprucegoose
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Don't worry it's no better at the other end of the terminal. A myriad of late flights and many bags going missing and/or to the wrong destinations.
Standard Christmas fare really, just a little patience needed and everybody will get to where they are going.
Who need's clean undies anyway?
Cheers, HH.
Standard Christmas fare really, just a little patience needed and everybody will get to where they are going.
Who need's clean undies anyway?
Cheers, HH.
Evertonian
An aircraft sitting on the ground doesn't earn money, but neither does a fully utilised schedule when an aircraft goes bad!
Ops spare aircraft was pretty standard at SQ. 747 at SIN ready to go anywhere it was needed, used it a couple of times at MEL too. Quite a good tool to use to de-fuse a hostile punter.
I think DJ's only problem here was that they have an "Ops spare" policy, but chose not to use it on this day. Someone took a punt & it backfired.
As jack said, ****e happens!
Ops spare aircraft was pretty standard at SQ. 747 at SIN ready to go anywhere it was needed, used it a couple of times at MEL too. Quite a good tool to use to de-fuse a hostile punter.
I think DJ's only problem here was that they have an "Ops spare" policy, but chose not to use it on this day. Someone took a punt & it backfired.
As jack said, ****e happens!
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Steve
One aeroplane going tits up on a full utilisation day for any carrier causes an exponential knock on and rolling delays that bsically turn the day to crap.
Intelligent utilisation of aeroplanes means you have them scheduled with small extra gaps in the system to buffer adhoc delays, but if one does a comprehensive "fall over" then you are toast.
It is all very well to have an op spare,but you can bet that aeroplane will be somewhere other than were the offender goes U/S.
This is a case of excreta occureth as Buster (Hiya Buster!) said.
The Airlines with enough filthy luker lying around to allow numerous aeroplanes to lay idle awaiting a new mission seems to have codes such as EK and KE and their like.
Unfortunately the days of multiple operational spares are gone, as are the days of enogh crew to throw them into the system if they are not where they are required.
Best for Chrissy all PPRuNers.
Be well, safe and prosperous over the coming year too.
EWL
One aeroplane going tits up on a full utilisation day for any carrier causes an exponential knock on and rolling delays that bsically turn the day to crap.
Intelligent utilisation of aeroplanes means you have them scheduled with small extra gaps in the system to buffer adhoc delays, but if one does a comprehensive "fall over" then you are toast.
It is all very well to have an op spare,but you can bet that aeroplane will be somewhere other than were the offender goes U/S.
This is a case of excreta occureth as Buster (Hiya Buster!) said.
The Airlines with enough filthy luker lying around to allow numerous aeroplanes to lay idle awaiting a new mission seems to have codes such as EK and KE and their like.
Unfortunately the days of multiple operational spares are gone, as are the days of enogh crew to throw them into the system if they are not where they are required.
Best for Chrissy all PPRuNers.
Be well, safe and prosperous over the coming year too.
EWL
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there is more to this -than the bull**** comming out of bolger's mouth
there are at least a dozen aircraft involved with cracked window problems (#5 flt deck windows) with boeing wanting vb -to get back to them with info on the extant of the cracking to work out if they need immediate replacement or can be blessed by boeing to carry on.
just more vb bull**** to a lay fears from the punters
the ops spare is utter bull**** spewing from bulger's mouth- vb fly their ac hard their are no ops spare's
there are at least a dozen aircraft involved with cracked window problems (#5 flt deck windows) with boeing wanting vb -to get back to them with info on the extant of the cracking to work out if they need immediate replacement or can be blessed by boeing to carry on.
just more vb bull**** to a lay fears from the punters
the ops spare is utter bull**** spewing from bulger's mouth- vb fly their ac hard their are no ops spare's
I am going to be shot down for saying this, I commend VB for doing what they did.
The problem they are having is with similar aged 737NG aircraft with many operators, including others around on the local scene.
Its an issue the manufacturer needs to address, airlines either have to ground aircraft to get an answer from the manufacturer or replace parts.
This effects schedules.
The problem they are having is with similar aged 737NG aircraft with many operators, including others around on the local scene.
Its an issue the manufacturer needs to address, airlines either have to ground aircraft to get an answer from the manufacturer or replace parts.
This effects schedules.
Evertonian
Hello Loco Bloko! Long time no type!
Well, as SQ had a small piece of Bransons empire, I would've taken it at face value that DJ carried an Ops Spare and kudos to them if they did.
AN used to flog the 767's through the week & the weekend down time saw the HM chaps get stuck into them. Optimising the schedule saw these aircraft running BOC's to DPS & freighters to LST overnight. All very well, I thought, with brand spankers, but not great on 20 year old airframes!
Bean counters! Where are they when you find yer gun?
Well, as SQ had a small piece of Bransons empire, I would've taken it at face value that DJ carried an Ops Spare and kudos to them if they did.
AN used to flog the 767's through the week & the weekend down time saw the HM chaps get stuck into them. Optimising the schedule saw these aircraft running BOC's to DPS & freighters to LST overnight. All very well, I thought, with brand spankers, but not great on 20 year old airframes!
Bean counters! Where are they when you find yer gun?
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I believe there is a big difference between a cracked window and a delaminated window.
The problem is working its way all over the world, UK; USA airlines are having the same problems....
The problem is working its way all over the world, UK; USA airlines are having the same problems....
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Airbus
From my experience, Airbus windows appear more reliable for some reason and replacement seems to be quicker. The mechanics tell me that to change a 737 window they have to remove the glare shield. Sounds like a major job to me.
However, some crews practice different window heat power up routines on the ground and naturally the system looks at window temperature to control heating if ambient temperatures are high on the ground. This may play some role in cracking susceptability.
If the window heat is faulty, the airspeed has to be limited at high altitudes to maintain good impact resistance.
I don't know if it was ever obvious to me that you could predict if a window was going to shatter but delamination was more predictable, I guess, vecause you could see it starting.
The only time I got a shattered window was on a 727 aircraft that had a known structural adjustment on pressurisation which occurred about 7.5PSI diff and that aircraft cracked more windows than the rest of the 727 fleet in our operation which was in South America. But that fleet was getting old and had already done time with the US majors.
We were always told to expect failures flying out of the tropics due to rapid temperature changes but it wasn't something you could easily predict even on that score because some aircraft never had any window problems, even over 5 years.
It's a terribly frightening experience, I might add.
However, some crews practice different window heat power up routines on the ground and naturally the system looks at window temperature to control heating if ambient temperatures are high on the ground. This may play some role in cracking susceptability.
If the window heat is faulty, the airspeed has to be limited at high altitudes to maintain good impact resistance.
I don't know if it was ever obvious to me that you could predict if a window was going to shatter but delamination was more predictable, I guess, vecause you could see it starting.
The only time I got a shattered window was on a 727 aircraft that had a known structural adjustment on pressurisation which occurred about 7.5PSI diff and that aircraft cracked more windows than the rest of the 727 fleet in our operation which was in South America. But that fleet was getting old and had already done time with the US majors.
We were always told to expect failures flying out of the tropics due to rapid temperature changes but it wasn't something you could easily predict even on that score because some aircraft never had any window problems, even over 5 years.
It's a terribly frightening experience, I might add.
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5 u/s jets with a total of 8 cracked flight deck eyebrow windows. In various ports....not just HBA.
VB Maint. Cont. does themselves no favours by throwing stones at the ginger beers when the jets go U/S...Does not inspire good will.
VB Maint. Cont. does themselves no favours by throwing stones at the ginger beers when the jets go U/S...Does not inspire good will.
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Soldier of fortune (I think not).
Keep the positive vibes coming mate. You haven't got a clue what you are talking about it would seem. When you understand the media and who the comments are targeted at, get back to us...until then
Keep the positive vibes coming mate. You haven't got a clue what you are talking about it would seem. When you understand the media and who the comments are targeted at, get back to us...until then