Qantas A380 refurbishment news and updates

[kermatu]

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

Wow, that's disappointing.

 

[moa999]

VH-OQA (Nancy Bird Walton) positioned to AUH on 25Jan as QF6011

Some conjecture as to whether this is for maintenance, and then subsequent refurb, or whether it's separate.

VH-OQA flying to Abu Dhabi, but why? - Airliners.net

 

[TheInsider]

VH-OQA (Nancy Bird Walton) positioned to AUH on 25Jan as QF6011

Some conjecture as to whether this is for maintenance, and then subsequent refurb, or whether it's separate.

VH-OQA flying to Abu Dhabi, but why? - Airliners.net

There for maintenance (Etihad are undertaking it). Refurbs won't start until after FY19 has started (unless they decided to move up the schedule).

 

[under the radar]

There for maintenance (Etihad are undertaking it). Refurbs won't start until after FY19 has started (unless they decided to move up the schedule).

As per qantas news room article published 25Aug 2017, refurbs will begin 2nd QUARTER of calendar year 2019

 

[sxc]

I wonder why Etihad do the maintenance now? I thought Lufthansa Technik had it all sewn up in Manila for QF?

 

[Ansett]

Must have been cheaper overall

 

[moa999]

At a guess I'd say availability and cost.

As per the airliners link, not the first time EY has done maintenance in AUH, though most is done in MNL.
And EK in DXB got the contract for 8 repaints and a wheel change

 

[Himeno]

I wonder why Etihad do the maintenance now? I thought Lufthansa Technik had it all sewn up in Manila for QF?

MNL can only have 1 A380 on the ground at a time. If another airline is using MNL for some A380 work (eg, BA), then it won't be available for QF during the same time.

 

[moa999]

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

Wiki now added...
With a (educated - based on prior layout and Configs used in 330 and 787) guess on the upper deck.

Any comments/ suggestions appreciated.

 

[darloflyer]

Qantas pushes back Airbus A380 upgrade to mid-2019

 

[docjames]

Nothing in there detailing why the delay - one wonders if QF has decided it needs the capacity online / cant afford to have aircraft out of action and/or the 744 departures a factor as well.

 

[Doctore1003]

And confirmation that PE will have the same pitch as on current 787s ... disappointing, but not surprising.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Qantas pushes back Airbus A380 upgrade to mid-2019

When is 6 years from the date this thread was started? That's my prediction for when these refurbishments will actually be completed. If at all.

 

[woodborer]

Nothing in there detailing why the delay - one wonders if QF has decided it needs the capacity online / cant afford to have aircraft out of action and/or the 744 departures a factor as well.

I've heard a whisper about certification....

 

[DavidFlynn]

Just adding here: that first of the refurb'd A380s is slated to fly in October. Two facilities are being considered as to where the work will be done.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So they haven’t even got anywhere to do the refurbishment yet? Lemme see what could possibly go wrong with that... finding a facility, negotiating price, availability of engineers to do the work, shipping the new seats to the facility, installing them, certification...

 

[DavidFlynn]

They have got somewhere to do the refurbishments - they in fact have two places under consideration - they’re right now now choosing between them, because as you can imagine, a massive and expensive 18-month project has a lot of variables to weigh up.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If you have two places under consideration that doesn’t sound like they have positively locked in space at either one. That would usually mean contracts still need to be signed, and project management needs to be done.

Sorry, but the positive spin just sounds a bit like advertising for qantas?

 

[DavidFlynn]

If you have two places under consideration that doesn’t sound like they have positively locked in space at either one. That would usually mean contracts still need to be signed, and project management needs to be done.

Obviously if two are being looked at then neither has been locked in and contracts have not been signed – I just don't see this as the big stumbling block which others may.

Lemme see what could possibly go wrong with that... finding a facility

Two facilities actually found, identified, shortlisted and in play right now

negotiating price

You are seriously suggesting Qantas hasn't already been running numbers and getting this finalised to wiggle-room stage?

availability of engineers to do the work

Would already be factored in, of course – this is not something you leave to the last minute.

shipping the new seats to the facility, installing them, certification...

Probably also not something QF has overlooked...

The project management plan in itself can be largely done to this stage, forgiving obvious variables, and modified to suit either location.

Look, there are two sites, it's mid-Feb, the work begins in July. A decision could be made end of this month and declared at the QF financials as part of a fleet update. Is this really that much of an issue?

Sorry, but the positive spin just sounds a bit like advertising for qantas

Sorry in return, but to me that's not 'positive spin', it's simply coming from a position of common sense. Think it through: who do you think know more about this and is more across it: somebody sitting on the sidelines, or Qantas?

I happen to believe that a massive company like Qantas will have much more of a grip on these things than a random person in the street, along with 1000x the insight because it has all the info at its fingertips and full knowledge of all the factors in what we'd both agree would be a complex equation.

Let me presume you're a professional with knowledge, expertise and yonks of practical experience in some specific field. Who knows more about matters relating to your field and indeed a specific decision pertaining to your business: you, or somebody who doesn't work in that area? That's my take here. It's zip to do with spin and 100% to do with thinking things through.

 

[DavidFlynn]

Updated data point: QF PR has this morning contacted me to say August, not October, is when the first refurb'd A380 should be flying. I'll admit this does strike me as tight – in the shed July, in the air August – especially as the first job would always take a bit longer!