Multiple Alliance Airlines Fokker F-100s and a QantasLink Dash-8-Q400 All Break Down at Rockhampton Airport

Major aircraft serviceability problems affected many passengers trying to fly out of Rockhampton Airport on Monday 25 September with at least two Alliance Airlines Fokker F-100 jets (operating for Virgin Australia) and a QantasLink Dash-8-Q400 turboprop all breaking down while on the ground at Rocky.  It made for rather unique scenes with a full parking apron with four F-100s and two Dash-8-Q400s on the ground all at once.

After arriving the previous evening operating the VOZ1251 service from Brisbane to Rockhampton Airport, Alliance Airlines Fokker F-100 VH-XWS was due to depart on the early morning VOZ1230 service back to Brisbane.  However, it was delayed heavily and eventually departed as VOZ1238 to Brisbane in the early evening - over six hours delayed on the 'usual' departure time of the VOZ1238 service - and almost 12 hours after the 'usual' VOZ1230 departure time.

The early morning Virgin Australia VOZ1231 service from Brisbane to Rocky was operated by Alliance Airlines Fokker F-100 VH-FKJ and after it touched down at Rockhampton Airport, the aircraft broke down and never actually departed back to Brisbane at all on Monday 25 September.  Early on Tuesday 26 September, VH-FKJ was noted re-positioning from Rockhampton Airport to Brisbane as UTY991.

With the morning flights from Rockhampton Airport not operating and stuck on the ground, a third Alliance Airlines Fokker F-100 VH-UQW was positioned into Rocky from Townsville as UTY990 and it shortly after operated as VOZ1234 to Brisbane over six hours behind the 'scheduled' departure time.  VH-UQW then returned to Rocky from Brisbane as VOZ1235 - almost eight hours behind schedule - before it positioned back to Townsville as UTY991.

It seems the only Alliance Airlines Fokker F-100 that operated on a 'normal' schedule into Rockhampton Airport was Fokker F-100 VH-XWO which operated the early afternoon VOZ1243/1246 service from and back to Brisbane.  It then turned around at Brisbane and completed an 'additional' service as VOZ1245/1248 before heading back to Rocky as VOZ1251 with all these flights operating over two hours behind schedule.  VH-XWO then stayed the night at Rockhampton Airport.

Meanwhile, QantasLink Dash-8-Q400 Next Gen VH-LQG arrived into Rockhampton Airport from Townsville and Mackay as QLK2305 and also broke down.  It was due to depart to Brisbane in the early afternoon but didn't end of departing Rocky until early on Tuesday 25 September when it re-positioned back to Brisbane empty as QLK711.

All photos taken by Daniel Bishop  ©