Summary
- Australian airlines Qantas and Virgin Australia declined in on-time performance in November, with only 62% and 54.2% of flights arriving on time, respectively.
- These numbers are significantly lower than the annual average for Australian airlines, which is 81.1%.
- Low-cost carrier Jetstar, owned by Qantas, was probably the most reliable airline in Australia for November, with 67.8% of flights arriving on time.
When you’re flying down under, there is a high possibility that your flight won’t depart on time for those who’re traveling with the 2 largest Australian airlines, Qantas and Virgin Australia, which marks a decline in service in comparison with 2022.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics, published by the Australian Financial Review, showed that for November, only 62% of flights operated by the flying Kangaroo (Qantas) arrived on time. Brisbane Virgin Australia’s results aren’t that great either, with just 54.2% of VA flights taking off and arriving as scheduled.
Photo: Virgin Australia
Being significantly lower than the annual average for Australian on-time performance (OTP), which sits at 81.1%, paints a scary picture of the aspects that may result in airline delays. November nationally saw 64.1% of all flights operate to schedule, in comparison with 66.2%, which were the outcomes for November 2022.
Fed up with legacy carriers
As reiterated by Australian Transport Minister Catherine King, travelers are fed up with the delays the country’s major carriers are encountering, and the figures are ‘very disappointing.’
With this result, it’s no surprise that Jetstar, a low-cost carrier owned by Qantas, took the title of ‘most reliable’ transport in Australia for November, achieving the results of 67.8% of flights arriving on time, still not ideal, however it’s the most effective result.
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Airlines are under immense pressure as they cut back up operations post-pandemic, and globally, carriers are coping with staff shortages and the prospect of strikes as employees push for higher working conditions.
The minister, King, reiterated that the federal government may consider a review of the national aviation market as to what might be done to guard consumers further. He added that the transport department is already considering recent laws that might mean airlines must compensate passengers should their flight be horrendously delayed.
Photo: Steve Lovegrove | Shutterstock
Difficult conditions
Each Virgin and Qantas have hit back with their reasoning behind November results, with VA blaming a shortage of crew and aircraft maintenance challenges; nonetheless, a Virgin spokesperson did make this apology:
“We apologise that in November our operational performance was below our standards and didn’t meet all of our customers’ expectations.”
Photo: Ryan Fletcher | Shutterstock
Qantas also stressed that the situation improved in December, having seen 70% of flights depart as scheduled, and was putting extra aircraft on backup to alleviate the stress on its Christmas schedule. A QF spokesperson noted:
“November was a difficult month operationally, with major storm activity on each the east and west coasts of the country and air traffic control issues. There have been also a big variety of engineering related delays, with safety all the time coming before schedule.”
Smaller carriers, Bonza and Rex, recorded higher results than their larger counterparts, with the brand new low-cost carrier, Bonza, based out of the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, and Melbourne, recording 73.9% of flights arriving on time, while Rex hit 70.5%.