Qantas A380 refurbishment news and updates

[mviy]

Some airports are slot constrained so high capacity planes like the A380 do make sense on some routes at least in periods of peak demand.

 

[justinbrett]

The A380 would likely continue to be flown to SIN, HKG, LAX and DFW. They may even at least initially continue to offer an A380 service to LHR for those who don't mind the stop and don't want to pay a premium for direct non-stop.

I disagree.

The only reason QF has an A380 on the DFW route is that it has a marginally longer range than the B744, which occasionally couldn’t make the stretch. I think this route will be the first to go once spare B787s become available (likely to be a route from MEL and SYD). They’re not even flying this daily now, only 6x weekly.

The only reason QF put an A380 on the SIN route is because of the LHR services.

The Asian routes are much more suited to B787/B777/A350 services.

Qantas won’t have the slots in LHR to do Australian direct services and via SIN, so if they do continue via SIN I’d expect the second leg would be a BA codeshare.

 

[moa999]

VH-OQC positioning to AUH as QF6011 for maintenance today

 

[OATEK]

VH-OQC positioning to AUH as QF6011 for maintenance today

Saw if fly overhead this afternoon and wondered what the ferry flight was about. Maintenance only? No fitout?

 

[moa999]

Reportedly maintenance only. Like OQA which was in AUH for 6wks from late Jan.

The refurb is being done by Airbus from July, possibly (though notnconfirmed) at Dresden DRS

 

[TheInsider]

Looks like the 1st A380 is heading to the EU soon, can't think of any other reason why there is an ad-hoc flight that day.
As spotted by BD1959

It's selling on the normal website.

I reckon it's a 'positioning' flight being the first refitted aircraft.. May as well get some money out of it I guess if they are sending it around that area!
View attachment 157582

Not an IT error:
View attachment 157583

 

[moa999]

Repaint Tracker (8 of 12)

Registration	In	Out	Days	Location
VH-OQF	23/3/2018	10/4/2018	18	Dubai
VH-OQL	21/4	8/5	17	Dubai
VH-OQK	16/5	1/6	16	Dubai
VH-OQG	16/6	3/7	17	Dubai
VH-OQA	14/7	31/7	17	Dubai
VH-OQC	4/9	20/9	16	Dubai
VH-OQB	10/10	27/10	17	Dubai
VH-OQD	7/11	24/11	17	Dubai
VH-OQJ	(8/5/19)			Busan

Refurb Tracker (0 of 12)

Registration	In	Out	Days	Location
?	From July 2019	?	About 2 months	Hamburg or Dresden

For details of the refurb see the Old Wiki Post

 

[Quickstatus]

I disagree.

The only reason QF has an A380 on the DFW route is that it has a marginally longer range than the B744.....

Qantas won’t have the slots in LHR to do Australian direct services and via SIN, so if they do continue via SIN I’d expect the second leg would be a BA codeshare.

Both the A380 and B747-400ER do not have the range fully loaded but can if aircraft is appropriately less loaded. I suspect the A380 has better economics than the B747 on the QF7/8 Route allowing the airline to block off 100Y seats so the aircraft can make the range. The 747-400ER can also do QF7/8 direct to/from SYD if it wanted to but the economics of blocking off a similar number of seats is less attractive.

QF has 4 slot pairs into LHR but currently only uses 2 : QF9/10 and QF1/2. The unused 2 slot pairs are leased to BA (these were slots used by QF when it has BKK-LHR and HKG-LHR)

 

[TomJones]

Both the A380 and B747-400ER do not have the range fully loaded but can if aircraft is appropriately less loaded. I suspect the A380 has better economics than the B747 on the QF7/8 Route allowing the airline to block off 100Y seats so the aircraft can make the range. The 747-400ER can also do QF7/8 direct to/from SYD if it wanted to but the economics of blocking off a similar number of seats is less attractive.

QF has 4 slot pairs into LHR but currently only uses 2 : QF9/10 and QF1/2. The unused 2 slot pairs are leased to BA (these were slots used by QF when it has BKK-LHR and HKG-LHR)

OT, but do you know what time window these unused slots are for? I would presume one of them would be the old midday QF9 arrival time

 

[QFflyermelbourne]

Latest rumour I've heard is that the 380 will be pulled from DFW once the 744 goes and be replaced with dreamliners. This frees up the 380 to go onto the JBurg route for which they still need a 4 holer. 787 also better suited to the DFW length.

 

[defurax]

Latest rumour I've heard is that the 380 will be pulled from DFW once the 744 goes and be replaced with dreamliners. This frees up the 380 to go onto the JBurg route for which they still need a 4 holer. 787 also better suited to the DFW length.

They are already giving the tickets to JNB almost for free...1K Y, 2K PE, 4K J, I wonder how they'll make money by adding even more seats...

 

[Daver6]

They are already giving the tickets to JNB almost for free...1K Y, 2K PE, 4K J, I wonder how they'll make money by adding even more seats...

Maybe they'll drop the SYD-JNB route and fly a PER-SYD using a two engine aircraft.

 

[Cool Cat Phil]

Latest rumour I've heard is that the 380 will be pulled from DFW once the 744 goes and be replaced with dreamliners. This frees up the 380 to go onto the JBurg route for which they still need a 4 holer. 787 also better suited to the DFW length.

If this was the case, the route would likely get dropped back a few services a week to something like 3-4 rotations per week one would think. Since the demise of the SAA codeshare a few years ago , QF have managed better loadings without the 60/40 codeshare with SAA . However an A380 daily to JNB would be signficant overkill of seats.

CPT has enormous potential from both the West & East coast of Australia, and hopefully QF fills this void in the near future, that undoubtedly would be a great crowd pleaser for those looking to avoid JNB.

 

[Berlin]

Grrrr, Qantas drives me nuts with always dragging out their fleet and lounge improvement. First there's a big flashy announcement, then months and months of absolute silence, then you hear about delays, then again nothing and then the actual roll out will be streeeeetched out as far as possible.

By the time the change finally gets implemented, the seats are soooo overly dated and the lounges are literally falling apart (AKL, I am looking at you...) that it feels like a necessity rather than the original 'enhancement' that was promised.

 

[moa999]

Auckland has been dated for 10 years.

 

[cjd600]

Auckland has been dated for 10 years.

The city or the lounge?

 

[pauly7]

Maybe they'll drop the SYD-JNB route and fly a PER-SYD using a two engine aircraft.

That would require a certain PER airport to stop acting like a spoilt brat and play ball.

QF already had a PER - JNB service lined up but we all know what happened next!

 

[Daver6]

That would require a certain PER airport to stop acting like a spoilt brat and play ball.

QF already had a PER - JNB service lined up but we all know what happened next!

Not really sure who is to blame in that saga. Suspect both sides. I mean its ridiculous the duplication of customs and immigration because QF didn't want to use the international terminal.

 

[moa999]

They had the space in T4 after VA moved out, and Perth Airport agreed to it, and it's so much more convenient for QF connections.

It's ridiculous that Perth airport expects QF to start a single flight from a terminal they no longer use.

 

[Daver6]

Except QF was already using T1 for the flights to SIN and seasonal AKL flights.