Qantas A380 refurbishment news and updates

[MEL_Traveller]

I mean seriously I know its OT but why the hell do you need an airbag in an aircraft seat for crying out loud. Surely these must represent an maintenance cost and what happens of they fail to go off or go off prematurely?

You need to restrain a passenger in the event of a sudden deceleration in a crash. In economy class this is done by placing your head on the seat in front. The alternative is either a three-point harness or an airbag. (Or, alternatively, leaning as far forward as possible and grabbing your ankles.)

Airlines vary in the equipment they use... some air bag, some three point harness. I don't know the relative benefits of each. Cars have both for example.

 

[Strategic Aviation]

Also, that small upstairs economy cabin is gone.

That's the kicker. I can't see myself downstairs in 3-4-3 land.

 

[Forg]

Looks good but I would prefer the QANTAS lettering to be larger and more bold.

And the kangaroo also has no hands!
Lost it's wings a couple of decades ago, now it has no hands - how's it gonna pilot Ranger Clancy's heliocopter?!

 

[Flying Fox]

You need to restrain a passenger in the event of a sudden deceleration in a crash. In economy class this is done by placing your head on the seat in front. The alternative is either a three-point harness or an airbag. (Or, alternatively, leaning as far forward as possible and grabbing your ankles.)

I would guess that a three point harness would be cheaper to buy & maintain?

In reality, I wonder in an aircraft crash how much difference an airbag seat belt vs non airbag seat belt really makes?

 

[serfty]

now it has no hands

I have come across the term ampuroo ...

 

[Daver6]

I would guess that a three point harness would be cheaper to buy & maintain?

In reality, I wonder in an aircraft crash how much difference an airbag seat belt vs non airbag seat belt really makes?

I reckon it would make a huge difference. The difference between smashing your head on the hard shell PE seat in front or not. I know which option I'd choose.

 

[Lynda2475]

Id prefer 3 point harness over the airbag belt, or they need to put an extender on the tray table such that it sits higher above your lap to clear the air bag more comfortably. The current design means anyone but the thinnest passengers have to undo their lap belt when using the tray table if that want a tray table that is sitting flush as intended.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Id prefer 3 point harness over the airbag belt, or they need to put an extender on the tray table such that it sits higher above your lap to clear the air bag more comfortably. The current design means anyone but the thinnest passengers have to undo their lap belt when using the tray table if that want a tray table that is sitting flush as intended.

I think that's just a design issue with the QF seats. No other airline seems to have that problem with airbag + tray table.

 

[mrsterryn]

Any further updates on the refurbishments?

 

[defurax]

I wonder how QF will manage PE vs Y loadings during the refurb. I don't see QF selling all 60 PE seats when only a few aircraft will have been reconfigured.
Maybe they will do the same as when the DFW route started using old 4 class aircraft and it was possible for SG and WP to select a PE seat but with Y service.

 

[moa999]

Any further updates on the refurbishments?

Apart from starting in March, nope.

Wouldn't be surprised to see more renders drop in late Jan (when the news cycle starts), and then lots of press when the first aircraft comes back, probably in May sometime.

Certainly will be some fortunate passengers for a period.

 

[Melburnian1]

moa999, could you please do your famous, popular table(s) just as you did for the A332/A333 program?

If I recall, huge amount of interest from AFF members, and nicely done so one could tell at a glance any differences.

 

[moa999]

Will do the tracker, hopefully we can Wiki it to this thread this time, and with refurbs taking months it will be easy to track.

For seatmap seatmaps it should be fairly obvious in most classes
First - Suspect you won't be able to tell
Business - 1-2-1 rather than 2-2-2
Premium - More than 5 rows (increase from 35 to 60 seats)
Economy - No ability to select upper deck

 

[Melburnian1]

Will do the tracker, hopefully we can Wiki it to this thread this time, and with refurbs taking months it will be easy to track....

How many months will each take?

If I'd hazarded a guess, I would have thought 'eight weeks' but obviously not.

Is it the wiring that takes the most time because it's apparently very intricate?

 

[moa999]

How many months will each take?

Good question. Based on previous press, refurb starts March 2019 and all complete by end 2020. So that's 12 over 21 months, or 7 weeks each assuming one at a time.

Timing may vary by aircraft depending on whether a check is conducted at the same time (eg. For the 332s some were 4 weeks, others 8 weeks)

It's also really only the top deck getting reconfigured with new J and PE seats and the changes to the lounge area.

Downstairs F seems to be only getting a new TV screen and revised seat coverings.

If also hope that with the amount of work going on that they install most of the necessary wiring for future inflight internet (waiting for the new Viasat Satellite to launch in 2021/22) so it's (almost as simple as) just bolting on the aerial bump.

 

[Melburnian1]

Good question. Based on previous press, refurb starts March 2019 and all complete by end 2020. So that's 12 over 21 months, or 7 weeks each assuming one at a time.

Timing may vary by aircraft depending on whether a check is conducted at the same time (eg. For the 332s some were 4 weeks, others 8 weeks)....

moa999, does this mean that at times there may be two QF A388s programmed to be concurrently out of service: one having the refurbishment undertaken, while another has its 'C" check or whatever it's called?

A technical question, but is it possible as you imply for these two separate works to occur together?

Will all these works occur in HKG, DXB, MNL or elsewhere?

 

[moa999]

at times there may be two QF A388s programmed to be concurrently out of service
Will all these works occur in HKG, DXB, MNL or elsewhere?

Wouldn't think there is enough slack in the schedule for that, unless you start removing flights, I'd expect one at the time.
May also be gaps for more aircraft painting (in DXB)

The contract for the reconfiguration has been given to Airbus, likely to be done at TLS Toulose

 

[kpro]

necessary wiring for future inflight internet

Isn't the A380 already wired for inflight internet? They had the OnAir hotspot available for a limited time - Hands-on review: Qantas' A380 in-flight wifi Internet trials.

Would expect only a replacement satellite dish/receiver would be required.

 

[moa999]

I thought it was only a couple of aircraft, although that article mentions six. So maybe there is some existing wiring (or it is part of the default A380 wiring).

You do have to laugh at the 35Mb download limited and 0.1Mbps speeds (with likely only one pax using the service).

 

[mviy]

Good question. Based on previous press, refurb starts March 2019 and all complete by end 2020. So that's 12 over 21 months, or 7 weeks each assuming one at a time.

They will be trying to avoid doing the refurb during peak periods (like to have as many planes in the air as possible when they can fill the planes) so assuming one at a time and that they hit that schedule it'd have to take less than 7 weeks to refurb each plane.