A Couple of Maintenance Issues for Virgin Australia ATR 72 Turboprops at Rockhampton Airport Cause Cancelled Flights

Over the last couple of days, a couple of Virgin Australia ATR 72 turboprop aircraft look to have had maintenance issues after arriving at Rockhampton Airport causing a couple of cancelled and delayed flights.

VH-FVM during another maintenance layover at Rocky  (File photo taken by Phil M  ©)

On Saturday 4 June, ATR 72-500 VH-FVX touched down at Rocky from Brisbane as VOZ1239.  It broke down and the consequently the return VOZ1242 was cancelled.  Then on Sunday 5 June, VH-FVX positioned back to Brisbane empty as VOZ9912 before operating a Fly-in Fly-out (FIFO) charter flight to Miles Airport and back.

While also on Sunday 5 June, VH-FVM operated into Rockhampton Airport as VOZ1253 from Brisbane - incidentally after it too operated a FIFO charter flight to Miles and back to Brisbane.  VH-FVM was due to operate the early morning VOZ1230 flight from Rocky back to Brisbane on Monday 6 June but it didn't, instead it positioning empty back to Brisbane late in the morning as VOZ9904.

Finally, last Thursday 26 May, Virgin Australia ATR 72-500 VH-FVH departed Brisbane bound for Bundaberg Airport on the VOZ1701 scheduled service.  However, soon after departing it turned back and landed back at Brisbane some 14 or so minutes after it departed.

Much later on Thursday 26 May, fellow Virgin Australia ATR 72-500 VH-FVI operated the significantly delayed VOZ1701/1702 service into Bundaberg Airport from and back to Brisbane.