Wrong way to Sydney on Air China
 

Wrong way to Sydney on Air China

A friend flew on Air China on May 22 from Shanghai to Sydney. However, well into the flight, he noticed that the flight appeared to have a different destination...TOKYO, not Sydney, according to the route on the flight map and all the destination details (time to destination, local time at destination) as provided on the same in-flight system.

Here's his Facebook post on the same day. I have a photo of the inflight map which shows the extreme deviation in route from a heading direct to Tokyo towards Sydney (but unfortunately cannot post it due to adminstrator's restrictions on what I can post).

But my question to the experts is.... HOW THE HECK is this even possible ?

This morning. 36,000 feet approaching Japan on glamorous Air China.
Me (pax) to Flight Attendant (FA) :
Me: Excuse me, it appears we might be flying to Tokyo, not Sydney.
FA: No sir, we are definitely flying to Sydney.
Me: So why does the on-screen map identify Tokyo as our destination and we are clearly flying in that direction?
FA: Errr. I will just go and check with the captain.
[5 minutes later we feel the plane gently banking right and she re-appears]
FA: Sir, I can confirm we are definitely flying to Sydney.
Me: Well, yes, we are now; but the plane has clearly changed direction. Why were we flying towards Tokyo?
FA: [Smiles sweetly, backs slowly away]
(10 mins later)
FA: The captain says there are 2 routes we take to Sydney. One being this North East route the other being Westerly.
Me: Ah, of course. That makes sense. Do you always fly in totally the wrong direction to get to your destination?
FA: [Smiles sweetly, backs slowly away, again.]

Do you suppose there might be follow-up on this. I certainly hope so.

Can you imagine the FA having to tell the CAPTAIN this news.

And then that talk with ATC.

Tokyo, Sydney, both eastern cities with bridges over water and good food. Splitting hairs.

Looking at CA's PVG-SYD flights for other days, the routeing typically skirts the southern coast of Japan, often overflying Tanegashima , before turning south towards Oz.

Here's the flight a couple of days prior to yours:

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.gmf...94efc3c6c3.jpg

if the in flight map is showing the destination as one thing..... but you are meant to go to another then its highly suspicious.

No problem with the route above but I suspect the In flight map would show the destination and time to run for Sydney.

How is it possible? Wrong data in the FMS.

Always dreamed of getting a plot of land on Tanegashima. Not so happy now seeing these overflights. Why does Air China have to fly so far north-east anyway?

Interesting if you are thinking to fly to Tokyo, load the FMC & fuel for that, check the fuel in pre-flight and then still have enough to fly to Sydney. Does IFE come direct from FMC? From a fuel point of view I think there is more to this than reported, and it was all OK.

Having a regular gander at the launch pad?

If you're not aware, some passengers might get the same 'feeling' something is wrong when flying BA from Rio to Heathrow; it heads south west for the first leg of the flight 'cos it pick up in Sao Paulo.

Must be one of those ground hacks...

It looks to me as if the track is skirting Taiwanese airspace.

Carving out a dotted line?