A Qantas Airbus A330 had a really circuitous route from Melbourne to Perth yesterday, which has an uncommon clarification (due to Matt for flagging this)…
Qantas’ very lengthy flight from Perth to Melbourne
This example occurred on Thursday, February 15, 2024, and includes Qantas flight QF780 from Perth (PER) to Melbourne (MEL). This flight was operated by a 21-year-old Airbus A330-200 with the license plate VH-EBB. This 1,681-mile route is operated by Qantas a number of occasions per day.
So, what made this flight uncommon? Effectively, on February 15, this flight took 4hr58min, and flew a complete distance of two,775 miles. As you’ll be able to see, the jet flew northeast all the best way to Queensland, after which began flying virtually instantly south down by way of New South Wales, previous to touchdown in Melbourne. The airplane ended up arriving in Melbourne over two hours delayed.
Simply to check that to an everyday flight out there, the identical actual flight the day earlier than spent 3hr7min within the air, and flew a distance of simply 1,734 miles.
The bizarre clarification for this circuitous route
Suffice it to say that it’s extremely unusual to function a route that’s about two hours and 1,000 miles longer than it normally is. What makes this much more shocking is that Virgin Australia operated a flight across the similar time with a Boeing 737, and that took simply over three hours, and had a direct routing. So, what’s the reason?
When doing route planning, airways should plan for potential diversion factors. This consists of diversion factors within the occasion of an emergency, and likewise consists of diversion factors within the occasion that arrivals are not doable on the meant vacation spot airport.
In keeping with the theories I’ve seen, Adelaide (ADL) can be a possible diversion level for this route. Nevertheless, when this flight was working, the airport runway was closed for development throughout late evening hours.
So the Qantas A330 wanted to function a unique route in order that it had an appropriate diversion level. The airline reportedly operated additional north than regular, in order that Alice Springs (ASP) can be a diversion level inside vary.
The rationale the Virgin Australia 737 didn’t should take this route is as a result of there are extra diversion factors for 737s somewhat than A330s, because the runways don’t have to be as lengthy.
Now, I’ve to say, I’m undecided I 100% comply with this clarification?
- Are Qantas’ A330s not ETOPS rated? For a 3 hour nonstop flight between Perth and Melbourne, you wouldn’t even be greater than 90 or so minutes from both airport
- Was this about having adequate diversion factors within the occasion Melbourne closed? If that’s the case, couldn’t Canberra (CBR) be used as a diversion level, since Brisbane (BNE) and Sydney (SYD) have curfews?
I’m certain there’s a superbly good clarification, so I’m hoping somebody may also help me make full sense of it.
Backside line
A Qantas Airbus A330 flying from Perth to Melbourne spent roughly two hours and 1,000 miles longer than typical within the air. It’s not usually you see a airplane flying this far out of the best way, particularly when a Virgin Australia 737 operated a direct routing on the similar time.
Apparently this comes all the way down to lack of appropriate diversion factors, on account of Adelaide’s runway being resurfaced on the time of this flight, so the airplane wanted to as an alternative keep inside a ways of Alice Springs. It’s all very unusual…
What do you make of this Qantas A330 flight?
