The media are reporting both fuel leak isssues in LHR and that fuel indicator issues have led to the grounding of all A380's. Does anyone have up to date information on this?
Paul Bibby
March 3, 2009
Qantas was forced to declare one of its flagship A380 aircraft "unserviceable" last night, after scores of passengers had waited more than 12 hours for a fuel leak to be repaired.
After an all night wait for Qantas Flight 10 from London to Melbourne to get off the ground, passengers were told that the leak from the A380's fuel system could not be repaired in time.
The airline was forced to transfer passengers to a Boeing 747, which eventually departed nearly 13 hours late.
It is the second embarrassing incident involving the A380 for Qantas in five weeks, with another plane grounded at LAX on January 19.
A Qantas spokeswoman said it was natural to expect "the occasional shake down" with a new aircraft and the airline was working with airbus to resolve the issues.
"Our engineers are currently working to resolve the issue and we hope to have the aircraft return to service very soon," the spokeswoman said.
"We are working very closely with airbus, but we remain committed to the A380, as the cornerstone of our new generation. We apologise to our customers."
Grmey
Mar 2, 09, 8:01 pm
Paul McGinnes was grounded in Sydney on Saturday night (QF31 cancelled) also. Not sure as to why?
I arrived in on QF32 on Saturday night around 8pm - shortly after they had offloaded the entire QF31 flight. Arrivals (immigration/customs) was mayhem.
NM
Mar 2, 09, 10:03 pm
this article (http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/03/03/323287/technical-troubles-ground-qantas-a380-fleet.html) provides a little more info (well, just a little).
Aus_Mal
Mar 3, 09, 12:14 am
Because the 747 fleet is getting extra utilisation over the next few days - check any upcoming flights out carefully. Both my Thursday and Monday flights have had config substitutions, and in one case I ended up in a non-existant seat (but now have an exit row), and in the other I've been moved to a non-preferable seat (with no option to move due to the cabin now being chockers).
(that flight is Zero'd out in Economy, so hopefully an op-up will happen!)
flyGreg
Mar 3, 09, 12:52 am
I just called QF reservations about this. They insisted the story was wrong.
But is my flight Qf12 LAX-SYD tomorrow (04.03) operated by an A380 as scheduled, I asked? She hesitated. "No". It has been changed to a 747.
serfty
Mar 3, 09, 1:02 am
Since I'm on 388s this weekend (QF11,QF94), I'm keeping a very close eye on the flights.
Qantas Cityflyer
Mar 3, 09, 2:39 am
In usual media sensationalism, the media got their big story by reporting that all three of the A380's had been grounded. If this was true I wonder how OQC departed SYD this afternoon as QF 31.
AndDee
Mar 3, 09, 2:54 am
In usual media sensationalism, the media got their big story by reporting that all three of the A380's had been grounded. If this was true I wonder how OQC departed SYD this afternoon as QF 31.
In everything that I read/heard it said one plane would be back in service tonight!!
Aus_Mal
Mar 3, 09, 3:09 am
Per http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/travel/qantas-grounds-a380-superjumbos/2009/03/03/1235842392589.html
One is due to return to service at 5.40pm tonight and the other tomorrow.
Qantas Cityflyer
Mar 3, 09, 3:53 am
In everything that I read/heard it said one plane would be back in service tonight!!
Yes, true ... it did say this in the body of the story, but even now, the SMH website blurts out the headline that "Qantas Grounds A380 fleet"
og
Mar 3, 09, 4:19 am
In everything that I read/heard it said one plane would be back in service tonight!!
And it was! It departed SYD to the NorthWest around 18:00 or thereabouts. Looked heavy - low and slow (but quiet).
asiaflyer
Mar 3, 09, 5:07 am
Father in law checked in on Monday (in town, day before checkin) for HKG-SYD QF128 in PE for tonight (Tuesday).
A few hours after checking in he received a call to advise he was being upgraded to J. Seemed a little early for op ups (>24hr prior to flight), but presuming the plane had been subbed due to the issues in this thread, then probably makes sense they are sorting things out.
The pity is I had specifically booked him in PE so he would try it and hopefully use it regularly (aproaching 70 years old and regular SYD-HKG traveller). Of course if I was flying I'd love the op up, but since I'm not I'm disappointed I won't hear a first hand PE experience.
younggun
Mar 3, 09, 8:23 am
??? ????
younggun
Mar 3, 09, 8:25 am
After an all night wait for Qantas Flight 10 from London to Melbourne to get off the ground, passengers were told that the leak from the A380's fuel system could not be repaired in time.
Am I wrong or does is the QF10 operated by a 747 100%???
serfty
Mar 3, 09, 3:12 pm
I too was wondering since when QF10 was operated by a 388, but I worked out the QF32 was changed to a 744 and the later departing QF10 given the beast.
Track Flight Status for (QF) Qantas Airways 10 (http://www.flightstats.com/go/FlightStatus/flightStatusByFlight.do?airline=(QF)+Qantas+Airway s&flightNumber=10&departureDate=2009-03-02&x=18&y=2) (Select "QF 10 LHR London SIN Singapore")
It seems to have eventually departed around 2:30pm, ~16:30 later then the scheduled QF10 and ~27 hours later than the original scheduled QF32.
GoldFlyer
Mar 3, 09, 7:33 pm
The probe in my toilet cistern works perfectly every time and I've never had a leak (in the toilet) that wasn't meant to happen. Could they go back to the basics of the water float rather than all this fancy computer stuff.
I too was wondering since when QF10 was operated by a 388, but I worked out the QF32 was changed to a 744 and the later departing QF10 given the beast.
Track Flight Status for (QF) Qantas Airways 10 (http://www.flightstats.com/go/FlightStatus/flightStatusByFlight.do?airline=(QF)+Qantas+Airway s&flightNumber=10&departureDate=2009-03-02&x=18&y=2) (Select "QF 10 LHR London SIN Singapore")
It seems to have eventually departed around 2:30pm, ~16:30 later then the scheduled QF10 and ~27 hours later than the original scheduled QF32.
I assume it was because they has too many stranded passengers from the substitution and they also needed the A380 in MEL to operate the LAX flight...
My QF32 LHR/SIN was substituted on 18/2 too when it had a tech issue in SIN and never made it to LHR.
serfty
Mar 6, 09, 2:45 pm
Yesterday around noon QPA was sitting in a hanger adjacent to Domestic Gate 1; QPB was in the NE parking apron.
Later on QPA flew me to LAX and QPB was to operate QF31 ...
"The plane was initially delayed for 90 minutes while a cockpit fuel indicator problem was fixed.
However, it reoccurred after pushback and the aircraft was forced to return to the terminal.
Spokesman Simon Rushton said the decision to return was made before the aircraft began its take-off roll."
If its not been experienced before just how many types of indication defects are there? This must be driving QANTAS nuts not to mention what must be very interesting emails to AIRBUS.
AndDee
Jan 4, 10, 5:40 pm
"Mr Rushton said the plane involved was the newest in the Qantas fleet, having only arrived at the end of December.
The fuel gauge problem had not been experienced before with the Qantas Airbus, he said."
:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
The aircraft involved for the 23 hour delay from Monday MEL-LAX was the 2 week old A380.
Another A380 is grounded LAX-SYD tonight as well
2 problems in 24 hours :rolleyes:
walter82
Jan 4, 10, 5:53 pm
[QUOTE=AndDee;13112133]"Mr Rushton said the plane involved was the newest in the Qantas fleet, having only arrived at the end of December.
The fuel gauge problem had not been experienced before with the Qantas Airbus, he said."
:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
The aircraft involved for the 23 hour delay from Monday MEL-LAX was the 2 week old A380.
Another A380 is grounded LAX-SYD tonight as well
2 problems in 24 hours :rolleyes:[/QUOTE
yes but 2 different problems!!! :rolleyes:
drewbles
Jan 4, 10, 6:29 pm
More from The Age...
http://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/issues-one-after-the-other-on-delayed-a380-20100104-lpmh.html
Nice pic of the F lounge too ;)
Nice pic of the F lounge too ;)Hmm .. URL needs a tweak ...
drewbles
Jan 4, 10, 7:11 pm
Hmm .. URL needs a tweak ...
oops. thanks for that (pressed enter a little too quickly when I pasted the link) :)
number_6
Jan 4, 10, 11:46 pm
This is why I've stopped booking A380 flights on QF -- too unreliable. Rather strangely EK and SQ do not seem to have this problem with their A380s. Every single one of my A380 flights has had multi-hour delays due to the fuel problem (luckily only 2-3 hours in my case, so not a big impact, but I know a trend when I see one).
Himeno
Jan 5, 10, 12:34 am
I've only been on a QF 388 once (was meant to be twice, but the first one was changed to a 744 due to the delivery delay in July/August). QF31 LHR-SIN. Didn't have any equipment problems, just an ATC/weather problem causing a 3 hour delay sitting at KUL.
Have the 388s with SQ, EK and AF had the same problems that QF's have been having?
Airbus appears to have a few issues to work out if brand new equipment keeps going tech.
kangela
Jan 5, 10, 12:44 am
Here we go again..a year on A180 "teething problems"
I'm not sure Mercedes-Benz would agree ..... :D It was/is one of their more successful small cars.
Lonely Flyer
Jan 5, 10, 1:31 am
Are all three A380s back in service?
Actually there are now 5
number_6
Jan 5, 10, 1:47 am
...Have the 388s with SQ, EK and AF had the same problems that QF's have been having?
Airbus appears to have a few issues to work out if brand new equipment keeps going tech.SQ had an engine shutdown inflight but that seems unrelated to the QF fuel system problems. QF has been implying that EK and SQ are having similar problems with their A380s (in the QF press conferences), but best I can tell this simply isn't true, however it is hard to get accurate tech stats on Airbus.
CO FF
Jan 5, 10, 12:30 pm
Others on FT have reported (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/13002180-post23.html) that this website (http://plane.spottingworld.com/A380_production_list) is a good source for info on deliveries of A380s.
Previously, QF's 6th whale was to have been delivered around 30 or 31December; that date has now been pushed back to 8 January.
Lonely Flyer
Jan 5, 10, 12:53 pm
SQ had an engine shutdown inflight but that seems unrelated to the QF fuel system problems. QF has been implying that EK and SQ are having similar problems with their A380s (in the QF press conferences), but best I can tell this simply isn't true, however it is hard to get accurate tech stats on Airbus.
I experienced an SQ whale that would not fly.
walter82
Jan 5, 10, 3:25 pm
This is why I've stopped booking A380 flights on QF -- too unreliable. Rather strangely EK and SQ do not seem to have this problem with their A380s. Every single one of my A380 flights has had multi-hour delays due to the fuel problem (luckily only 2-3 hours in my case, so not a big impact, but I know a trend when I see one).
Mine had this problem in February last year.
To be fair to the 180, 80% of my QF flights have been delayed by an hour or more (i assumed just bad luck) twice the delay was "whilst a part was flown from Melbourne" which I found a really strange explanation given the jet base is in Sydney. Each time we were held on the plane.
Its incredible the problem persists.
I flew back into OZ on New Years day and I think 4 of the 180's were at the jet base. They have 5?
I also prefer to avoid it but my flights to LA in Feb have been changed to the 180 which must reflect they are about to receive the next one.
This must be one massive headache for QF and now with the chaos returning to US airports, travelling there and LAX in particular is not enticing.
walter82
Jan 5, 10, 3:35 pm
"Mr Rushton said the plane involved was the newest in the Qantas fleet, having only arrived at the end of December.
The fuel gauge problem had not been experienced before with the Qantas Airbus, he said."
:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
The aircraft involved for the 23 hour delay from Monday MEL-LAX was the 2 week old A380.
The load factor is fascinating ... 398 pax LAX-SYD on QF12 (used to be the most heavily booked of the SYD flights) and 443 MEL-LAX.
walter82
Jan 11, 10, 9:06 pm
This is why I've stopped booking A380 flights on QF -- too unreliable. Rather strangely EK and SQ do not seem to have this problem with their A380s. Every single one of my A380 flights has had multi-hour delays due to the fuel problem (luckily only 2-3 hours in my case, so not a big impact, but I know a trend when I see one).
Fuel again.Of course, this was Emirates ...
A new Airbus A380 super jumbo has been grounded at a South Korean airport due to a mechanical fault, the latest in a series of glitches for the world's largest airliner, officials said yesterday.
The Emirates plane was scheduled to take off late Sunday for Dubai but the flight was cancelled due to a technical defect, said airport officials in Incheon, west of Seoul.
vbroucek
Jan 12, 10, 3:27 pm
Others on FT have reported (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/13002180-post23.html) that this website (http://plane.spottingworld.com/A380_production_list) is a good source for info on deliveries of A380s.
Previously, QF's 6th whale was to have been delivered around 30 or 31December; that date has now been pushed back to 8 January.
6th 'whale' VH-OQF landed as QF6028 in SYD at 08:42