Qantas to mothball all Airbus A380s until at least 2023, Qantas will ground its entire flagship Airbus A380 fleet until at least the middle of 2023. as the airline comes to grips with what's expected to be a prolonged downturn in international travel. Andrew is based in Sydney. are being put into the Mojave Desert, where the environment protects the aircraft (because) we have the intention at the right time to restart them, but that is a considerable amount of time away.". Stay informed:Sign up for ourdailyandweeklyaviation news digests. Qantas A380 refurb schedule - Qantas & Jetstar - Executive Traveller Once demand is there, theyre going to be good aircraft, Joyce told a CAPA Live virtual conference last Wednesday. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit, Executive Traveler (formerly Australian Business Traveler), Business Suite that Qantas currently offers on its Dreamliner flights, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Andrew is based in Sydney. Didnt receive an activation email? Qantas is bringing its Airbus A380s back into service in January By breakfast time on Monday, the superjumbo was up in the air again. Will fly ex DRW instead, which is better for eastern cities anyway to get to, will upgrade the QF pax facilities at terminal. "The aircraftare being put into the Mojave Desert, where the environment protects the aircraft (because) we have the intention at the right time to restart them, but that is a considerable amount of time away.". In some circles, shadows of doubt were cast over whether the type would ever return to the Australian airline at all. we are heading back from our trip on a 787 -9 via LAX which I am really looking forward to. VH-OQD departed Los Angeles mid-evening on Saturday for the 14 hour plus flight down to Sydney. Thursday, 09 Jun 2022, 02:30:06 pm. Already have an Executive Traveller account? These eight seats on Qantas' refurbished Airbus A380 offer maximum room for your feet. It comes as the airline continues to prepare for international borders to re-open in December 2021, once Australia reaches its 80 per cent vaccination target. You don't have credit card details available. one upper Log in below. Seat cushions will be replaced to be more comfortable and video screens will be swapped for a larger display. Just be happy our airline didnt fold during covid and have to get aircraft that spent two years in the desert in airworthy condition. Compare a range of products that will provide rewards and benefits to frequent flyers. Earlier, in February, the Qantas chief executive said that it was heartbreaking to see the fleet stored in the Mojave Desert and insisted that curfews and expensive airport slots meant flying them will still be profitable. Give me the A380 anytime over 787 when in economy though. I believe OQI is currently in Dresden so also closer to US than AU. 5 reasons you shouldn't bin your boarding passes, What to do when an airline cancels your flight, New ways for airlines to win your business, Australia's airport mask mandate will soon come to an end. David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis. For the time being, the aircraft will remain parked until such time as demand signals that its the right moment for them to return. It's completely free and we'll never pass your information on to When that happens, he says that the 787 will be picking up the slack from the loss of the A380 and 747, with all but three of its pre-COVID destinations served. Managing Editor - Joanna has worked in publishing for more than a decade and is fast becoming a go-to source for commercial aviation analysis. Qantas loyalty bonus: should you choose points or status? Eagle-eyed planespotters were anticipating the return to service of the second Qantas A380. Refurbished Qantas Airbus A380s Will Take To The Skies In September The move suggests it could be among the first of Qantas A380s to return to regular passenger service, after being in storage since March 2020. On Saturday and Sunday, VH-OQB operated ten flights around Sydney. They'd spotted this plane doing some laps over Los Angeles in the runup to Saturday's transpacific flight. Qantas launches Brisbane-Tokyo Haneda route. (Dave Soda) Qantas has again announced that its flagship Airbus A380s will return to service sooner than previously expected, with the first . Qantas A380 | Qantas AU The staff are magnificent, the food spectacular, the comfort superb. to remain on the ground for at least three years until we see those international volumes brought back," Joyce said. Qantas will ground its entire flagship Airbus A380 fleet until at least the middle of 2023as the airline comes to grips with what's expected to be a prolonged downturn in international travel. Vannus, Im not sure if youre aware but the majority of Australias population, which lives in just two states VIC & NSW, are currently in lockdown and have been for some time and expect to remain in lockdown for quite sometime. 20 astonishing facts about the A380 superjumbo | CNN Reopen QF21/22 and SYD-NRT (HND will only accept A380s during the overnight hours, only 1 on the ground at a time and they can't be there during the day slot hours). Please include the Ray ID (which is at the bottom of this error page). The aircraft are located close to key maintenance bases, which means reactivation can be brought forward rapidly, if demand trends suddenly upwards. Qantas Airbus A380 refurbishment schedule - Executive Traveller community discussion. Here are the best watches of the year: should you care? However, you might assume the two would come from the half dozen older yet-to-be refurbished planes.