It’s been a turbulent few weeks for Qantas, which has experienced several incidents that have made headlines worldwide.
QF887, which was meant to be a routine flight from Adelaide through to Perth, was forced to turn back while performing its flight. It had only made it 45 minutes into the multi-hour journey before it was forced to return. Per a Qantas spokesperson, the reason was due to incomplete paperwork.
While not related to a technical issue with the plane, this is down to staff releasing the aircraft before completing the paperwork. Technical problems, however, have been plaguing Qantas aircraft in recent weeks, from their narrowbodies to widebody aircraft.
After landing in Adelaide, the flight was eventually cleared to fly to Perth. It touched down in Perth on the same day, however, four hours after it was scheduled initially to land.
Qantas firmly reiterated that despite a significant sequence of events with their flights, there are no issues at the company. Citing that such things happen at airlines globally.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Daniel Fowkes is a Melbourne-based aviation analyst and journalist with over a decade of industry experience. As founder of Dj’s Aviation, he delivers trusted analysis on aircraft, airline strategy and global aviation trends for djsaviation.net
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Qantas is really having a bad start to the year with A380s diverting, 737s and now A330s, what’s going to be next, 787s or 717s?
Author
100%, a series of unlucky events, then minor issues just hitting them one after the other. Terrible timing you could say also.
You’d expect better if you were paying the kind of premium Qantas charges.
Can’t agree more strongly All about the dollar Not customer or staff
No truer word. So bloody expensive.
Well, the 787 have already had their problems also, and the funny thing is that they say their is no real problem.. and forgetting paper work!! how embarrassing.. they normally take paper work with them, and get everything singed before they leave….
What a load of crap
A330’s don’t even fly PER-ADL??
Author
Per flightradar24 data the flight was operated on that day by VH-EBA, an A330-200. Typically its the 738
Qantas was operating the A330 out of Adelaide after the Tour Downunder to accommodate the large number of bicycles as checked in luggage.
They do ,I saw this one go over my house
Yeah right.
Just like B747 never flew Melbourne- Perth
Well done Phil.
We can’t even get a Qantas service Adelaide to Singapore restored since it was shut some 8 years ago, by Sydney’s national airline.
I have never travelled in anything other than a 737 shoebox between Adelaide and Perth, including this flight,….sadly. in fact from Adelaide to anywhere with Qantas.
Other airlines can do it!
They did on that day … I was on it
Dan, I applaud you for trying to protect Qantas, but there is no denying that there is an underlying issue related to all these incidents. Quality assurance. An aircraft being released from maintenance before all the paperwork is completed is inexcusable. The more events like these, the closer the airline is coming to an accident. I sincerely hope that does not happen. Better to admit mistakes and fix them than try to cover them up.
These events – though not life-threatening per se – all add-up to an erosion of safety margins, and reflect the post-covid state of newly-inducted personnel unfamiliar with protocol or intricate maintenance processes. It is well-known that most air disasters are preceeded by multiple ‘erosive’ events of this nature. QF should be in less of a rush to get back to ‘normal’ ops – which, given the circumstances, is an impossibilty anyhow. “Festine lente” [make haste slowly] should be QF’s watchword. But I doubt that the overpaid Board of Directors can be so convinced.
Jetstar JQ831 PPP to Mel, one hour delay departing due to incorrect fuel calculations. JQ528 Mel to Syd, one hour delay due to incorrect stowage of dangerous goods and non compliant paperwork.
Paperwork aside, the aircraft had to land somewhere and the correct decision should have been to continue to Perth and sort out the paperwork later. No flight safety issue and passenger consideration should have been given a much higher priority.
Get rid of CEO and quality will return
They need to bring maintenance and repairs back for Australian workers. I was on a flight and there was this very loud engine noise when we hit a little turbulence. I asked the airhostess because it didn’t sound right or normal, they (stewards) strapped themselves into their seats and said its normal sounds. 🤔 I’ve never heard a plane make this sound before and I’ve made many trips on Qantas before.
I told flight centre do NOT book me on Jet star to Bali. I want to get there in one piece and on the day I booked! Qantas are having so many stuff ups, it’s only a matter of time before poor maintenance sees them have a plane drop out of the sky! Since then another 3 incidents have occurred !! Qantas/Jetstar are a third world operation atm. I am not ready to die. Especially at the prices they are charging for the privilege.
As long as it gets there safe. It feels like they are slipping in services, I hope this is not a sign that a major problem is imminent. Lift your game Q, you have a lot of loyal customers, less big $$$ for senior management and more $$$ on staff and safety. Also bring your phone lines back to Australia, your current phone service is appalling.
Maybe having maintenance done here in Australia would solve their problems..All this never happened before maintenance was done off shore.And maybe if Mr Joyce gave up all his ” bonuses” they could afford it..such a disgrace bonuses on top of his Huge salary.
I’d feel better about them if they admitted something was wrong. Denial is not just a river.
They never had these problems before Joyce.
They never had these problems before sacking maintenance staff & Avalon.
20 planes ive been on that are better all round, the only thing keeping it going is the staff 😵💫😵💫
I’m not buying it… Sorry…greedy Alan Joyce relinquishing, safety, staff and reputation to save a few $$$ how’s that working for ya?
Couldn’t agree with you more!! It’s karma in its purest form. Hope the shareholders and directors are worshipping the “Dirty Little Stain” still?
What a pack of lies
Brother in law works ground handling as a manager and Engineering said it was something else. The paperwork story is PR crap.
QANTAS used to be an airline Australians were proud of.
Get back to running your own business Quantas as contractors aren’t really the way to go as there’s no real pride if you are aren’t directly connected to the company Quantas !!!
My trip to LA in September with Qantas was a disgusting experience.
Squashed into a packed shoe box for 15 hours, terrible food and very few drink offers, including water.
Never again, it’s a disaster waiting to happen.
Much better to turn back than to recite a Hail Mary and continue onward.
Previously, Qantas experienced huge profits when it only used its Boeing fleet with the B747-400, B767-300 and B737 Classic aircraft types. Setbacks have been experienced since making a mistake in deciding on the selection of A380 aircraft to support their operations.
SACK THAT AWFUL IRISHMAN!!!!
He is TOTAL BS….What a JOKE!!!
Totally agree
Sack the garden knom who sits up the front and collects his package of $23 mill per year plus bonuses for stuffing up what was the best in OZ
Shame on the Shareholders to allow this. I will never fly Qantas again until this person is gone
Totally agree he destroyed Ryanair now it’s Qantas turn
They say it’s only paperwork, doesn’t instill any confidence in the company for me. Sorry, I’m only a passenger who pays the fare.
So let’s just wait for one of these (whatever type of plane it is, as if that makes a difference) to fall out of the sky like a brick.
And I’m just a overreacting consumer…
I will be to returning to France on Sunday and first leg is Perth to Singapore, with Qantas. I have made several trips involving them and four flights have had major delays of several hours including my flight here.
The story about paperwork worries me and you happy wish about bricks is not calming.
That Qantas CEO has to go before he does more damage….it’s that simple!!!!
Imagine if the loadsheet wasn’t completed.
Qantas and Jetstar are both a embarrassment, luggage, service and management that need replacing.
The downward trend started with the current head of Qantas ,what a egotistical he is. He will ruin it all.
Sack Joyce before our first major airline disaster, his paypacket comes before maintaince and shareholders divenends.
100% agree with you Mick!
As ,Les said get rid of contractors, it doesnt work. No pride in what they do.
Author
Qantas has reported multiple narrowly avoided incidents. Sadly inexperience can be challenging and poor employees lack the mentorship that former workers had. It’s tough for them.
Pilots and crew members Need to do refresh course.
Get rid of contractors firstly then Joyce he receives way too much money.
Qantas has become a victim of the scourge that is seeing the rampant catastrophic erosion of ordinary people’s rights to a fair share, ‘Executive Syndrome’.
The very people who are installed on executive boards to nurture and nourish their businesses become lost in their own remuneration conjuring
at the expense of quality of the service/product which originally enabled their companies to become successful.
Their next considerations are the blessed shareholders, thus relegating the disillusioned customers to the lowly third place, these, the very people who enabled their business to soar.
What could possibly go wrong ?
It shows what happens when you outsource your staff and try to cut corners. The likes of DNATA and Swissair don’t have the integrity of the QANTAS name in mind, purely profit. Thus we see lower standards in everything from engineering to ground staff. Bring back your sacked employees, let them just do Qantas/Jetstar and pay them appropriately Mr Joyce, maybe, just maybe you’ll leave the airline in some sort of better shape instead of lining your own personal pockets and those of your executives.
It’s called ‘Executive Syndrome’.
It’s a scourge that has become normalised.
Taking away from the masses their due, giving themselves more pelf than they know what to do with.
Untouchable criminals on a grand scale.
Revolution anyone ??
The worst airline in the world now..
Flown qantas with a smile all of my life to my recent discoveries its now a never fly again.
Coming back from Dubai to Sydney last week and this is my story.
Emirates from Dubai to Jakarta
Qantas from Jakarta to Sydney
Book and pay for tickets online with Qantas via the website.
5 business class tickets.
48 hours later no ticket in my inbox and online the status is still ticketing.
Money debited.
Call 1: 5 hours wait time 1 minute talk time
Sorry sir call back in business hours there was a glitch with the website
Call 2: oh yes we can see you haven’t paid
Call 25: now in total 16 hours on the phone
Yes we have found your payment will sent it over to ticketing
Call 30: 7 hours PRE departure
We have no ticket or booking or payment
Consultant asks for my credit to cross check the booking made after 2 hours on hold she finds it and 2 hours later I receive a eticket.
Family of 5 arrive in Jakarta and guess what none of my tickets have been ticketed I am stuck in a tiny transfer desk with my kids for 4.5 hours thank heavens the unblind flight from Sydney was delayed to give me time.
Whilst in transfer I COULD NOT CONTACT QANTAS luckily a airport team member took my passports and went to the other terminal to sort the issue out.
We finally received boarding passes.
Arrive in Australia and check my statement.
I had been debited 6 times for the same ticket illegally.
Do you think qantas have 1 person working in Australia with a telephone to talk to and ask for a refund?
NO
Only a reservation time team Allan sent offshore .
No one I mean no one try call your self and you will see.
The ONLY way to contact qantas is via a form on the website which has been done it’s now 7 days and still no reply.
I am disgusted and disappointed they have a right to claim that they are our national carrier do something about it management it’s a few action items and a client experience mindset and it’s all sorted.
The more you sit on your hands the more people like me will suffer and never use you again I don’t care if I have to take 3 other airlines to get my destination I’ll never use you again
Who can trust you with a credit card if you take the money 4 times and have no phone to ask for a refund?
Why didn’t you just book the entire trip travelling with Emirates.? Also why couldn’t you go direct home to Sydney with either EK or QF… were you using points.?
Does it matter. Service is horrible. I haven’t flown Qantas for quite a while.
How about the fact the QTS flight between Brisbane and LA is a flippin A330 Dinosaur, with a 20 year old fitout and an entertainment system that is literally a stab in the dark, with an image as dirty and blurry as the rest of the plane!
The flight crew are always awesome, but, the plane is so bad, it’s a case of misery served up with kindness.
For the $$$ we now pay for flights، QANTAS should be ashamed of themselves for serving up crusty old planes at gourmet prices 🤬
Ahhh….the holes are lining up in the swiss cheese 🤔
How about the fact the QTS flight between Brisbane and LA is a flippin A330 Dinosaur, with a 20 year old fitout and an entertainment system that is literally a stab in the dark, with an image as dirty and blurry as the rest of the plane!
The flight crew are always awesome, but the plane is so bad, it’s a case of misery served up with kindness.
For the $$$ we now pay for flights، QANTAS should be ashamed of themselves for serving up crusty old planes at gourmet prices.
This and all the other complaints, are clearly the bi-product of having a SCREW MUNGER MISER CEO at the helm.
Hey QANTAS! whatever happened to the customer is number one?
Keep going this way and you will lose your regular well paying business customers🤬
The little Irish man is laughing all the way to the bank. Problem is the Qantas Board supports Joyce 100%. I wouldn’t fly Qantas full stop.
As we say in the mining industry when there are enough incidents the Swiss cheese holes line up and there will be a serious incident, qantas is heading that way.
What was it?
The Leprechaun has been very quiet lately since this chain of events affecting Qantas.
Company should be sold to Beijing
Maintenance done overseas. No taxes paid on the parts used and imported back into Australia. Customs directed not to charge QANTAS the import taxes.
Joyce is a disgrace as are the board of directors who support him and his bonuses. Outsourceing will bring them undone. Shareholders vote them out. A disgrace all around. More soiled toilet paper to Joyce’s roof top.
I fly twice a year business class sydney-bangkok. A direct flight is my #1 preference-sorry, ive donr thai, not worth the money! & emirates & qantas code share. Qantas before covid was great on the way over, & emirates was AMAZING!. I was due to leave again 15 mar 2020 then covid hit. I was told i MUST use my credits by dec 2021, which they charged me $500 extra for. That was $4700 total. THEY LEFT ME ASLEEP IN BED AS WE WERE LANDING INTO SYDNEY!!!!!!!! THIS YEAR I HAVE NO DIRECT EMIRATES OPTION. So my ticket total is a whopping $6700!!!!!!!!! Wish me luck. I want to have a safe journey, no hiccups. ill take 3 pairs of pjs & business class packs. I have bipolar & anxiety. I NEED to b looked after…..IS IT TOO HARD TO ASK??????
PS YES, OUST JOYCE! His BONUS IS BEYOND WORDS. How does this man sleep well at night?
On a bed of undeserving money.
This also includes the consistent bad associated Jetstar
Joyce and his Yes men are a disgrace.