Sensational-Adelaide.com

Aidan wrote:

Ho Really wrote: They say it wasn't an emergency landing, but burning fuel quicker than expected doesn't sound good. Hope they sort it out quickly and that it has no ramifications on other A380s.

I don't see why it would have any ramifications. It was simply a case of QANTAS not putting enough fuel in, knowing that if they burn through it faster than expected (as can happen when there's adverse weather) they could divert to Adelaide. Carrying more fuel than they need is itself a waste of fuel, and Adelaide's such a small detour from the Melbourne - Singapore route that they thought not putting the extra in was worth the risk.

Splashmo wrote:I'm not talking about carrying twice as much as you need, but obviously more than what was used here. You very clearly said "carrying more than they need" which is open to interpretation as enough to go from A to B and nothing in reserve.

Mistakes happen but at the end of the day it's a big inconvenience for the passengers.

bm7500 wrote: You have to keep in mind that this route is flown 6 days a week by Qantas and they would have the fuel quantities required for the sector down to a fine art. This poses a couple of questions about why this flight and its crew found themselves in a low fuel situation. Was there some unexpected weather on route including stronger than anticipated head winds? Were the right fuel/passenger & freight weight calculations presented to the crew and entered into the flight computer? Is this diversion a result of Qantas trying to save money and carry less fuel to lessen weight, drag and ultimately save fuel...but not quite getting it right?...

Qantas cuts fuel to save money

PILOTS flying Qantas's flagship Airbus A380 super jumbos are being pressured to carry less fuel on long-haul flights in a cost-cutting measure to reduce the airline's soaring fuel bills.
Company insiders have exposed a secret campaign, which increases the risk for flights being diverted to alternative airports because they cannot safely reach their destinations.

The campaign includes charts ranking pilots against each other based on fuel usage.

The revelations followed the forced diversion of two flights in just four days, with a Melbourne-bound A380 redirected to Adelaide on Tuesday after crew discovered it had burnt though too much fuel, and a flight from London forced to land in Kuala Lumpur because it had inadequate spare fuel to circle while a storm cleared.

The airline yesterday denied the diversions were solely the result of aircraft not carrying enough fuel.
But documents obtained by The Advertiser reveal in the past two years the amount of "discretionary fuel" - carried on board flights to deal with emergencies, unforeseen bad weather and airport delays - has dropped by about 40 per cent.

While the average A380 flight took off with 2502kg of discretionary fuel in 2009, landing with 1818kg unused, by late last year they were carrying 1472kg and landing with 1088kg onboard.The documents also show flights landing at Singapore and Melbourne - the two destinations to suffer diversions this week - on average landed with the least amount of remaining fuel of any Qantas A380 flights.

A pilot yesterday said the document, which ranks pilots based on fuel usage, was putting "subtle pressure" on crews.

"The airline is trying to save money, knowing that a lot of our pilots will see it as a challenge and compete with each other," he said.

"When the fleet was new they were more conservative, we carried more fuel, but as the fleet has settled in they have changed the policies to lower the fuel amounts."

He said the reductions in discretionary fuel - which save the airline about $3000 on each flight - would lead to more delays and forced landings because of weather or other unforeseen problems.

"We will see more of these diversions," the pilot said.

UNSW School of Aviation lecturer Peter Marosszeky, who has almost 50 years in the sector, said while the fuel policy had no impact on safety, it increased the chance of inconvenience.

"You're going to expose yourself to a greater chance of having a diversion if the weather turns sour en route," he said.

"Discretionary fuel has always been an issue, but it has always been tempered by the fact the captain has the final decision.

"There are some serious issues involved if you start pressuring a pilot to fly his plane in a different way."

A spokesman confirmed Qantas was looking at ways to cut fuel costs, but denied it had any impact on services. "Pilots are encouraged to closely monitor discretionary fuel uplift," he said.

The Australian and International Pilots Association said pilots always carried more than the minimum amount of fuel set by the airline but carriers were "willing to wear a certain number of diversions".

"That is an operational risk the airline takes," vice-president Captain Richard Woodward said.

"The performance of the airplane is directly related to its weight, and the only thing that changes in flight is the fuel."

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au

Cheap carriers ignite calls for airport tram

THE growing use of budget airlines has prompted a call by tourism groups for a tramline to Adelaide Airport.

Such a link would not only relieve vehicle congestion but help interstate football fans access the redeveloped Adelaide Oval.

Tourism and Transport Forum chief executive John Lee told The Advertiser many people came to Adelaide for events in the CBD and would now be visiting the redeveloped Torrens precinct.

"So the idea of having a direct link from North Tce to the airport would make a lot of sense," he said. "I have been to a game at AAMI Stadium and it's a torrid trip."

The key tourism and transport body also warned unless public transport systems to the airport were improved, the reliance on private cars as the primary means of travel to the airport will "simply be unsustainable".

An upgrade of Sir Donald Bradman Drive by adjusting traffic signals and grade separation with South Rd also is recommended to improve traffic flow between the airport and the city centre.

The move for the tramline was first revealed in 2009 when airport management committed to a light rail option in its master plan, reserving a transport corridor within the airport boundary to the passenger terminal.

It has been estimated building the line down West Beach Rd and Sir Donald Bradman Drive to the airport could cost more than $60 million.

Adelaide Airport has more than seven million passengers a year and 100,000 aircraft movements.

The Greens, the Adelaide City Council and the Property Council also support a light rail link to the airport - possibly linked to the Keswick rail terminal.

The Tourism and Transport Forum has put a submission to the Productivity Commission calling for investment in the line.

The submission says in the next 20 years, forecasts indicate annual passenger movements at capital city airports will grow to 235 million from 100 million.

The TTF says the rise of low-cost carriers has meant more budget travellers were now accessing major airports.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au

bm7500 wrote:An upgrade of Sir Donald Bradman Drive by adjusting traffic signals and grade separation with South Rd also is recommended to improve traffic flow between the airport and the city centre.

bm7500 wrote:
The Greens, the Adelaide City Council and the Property Council also support a light rail link to the airport - possibly linked to the Keswick rail terminal.