Qantas A380 refurbishment news and updates

[moa999]

Also still minimal engineering support in AUH where other airlines are getting prioritised.

Of note Etihad still has 5 (of 10) aircraft parked.

 

[p--and--t]

All I know is they are doing a 12-year check and that will commence mid next year. This is from my engineering friends.
Also still minimal engineering support in AUH where other airlines are getting prioritised.

Obviously people closer to the issue in a better position to know the reasoning / circumstance / requirements / capabilities, but I seem to recall QF used to get A380 work done by LH at Manila. Maybe not the same capabilities/booked out as well.

 

[RSD]

Wasn't OQC the one that had bad corrosion in the wing spars?

 

[OATEK]

There are codeshares on AF/KL/AY (others?) both for QF code and those partner airlines on the QF to/from Oz.

Edit:
MU, FJ, BA, JL, 6E…

Also a lot of QF codes on 3K flights into Asia - of course!

And ... surely if the market was there for the big bird it wouldn't be doing seasonal turns to HKG.

The issue with adding capacity to SIN is the intra-asia connections only work from QF35 and the European flights have a much better connection from QF37.

Connections are important, but so is who takes the next leg. Plenty on here are more adventurous than many out there who are not looking for transits, but a continuous flight as many of my non-AFF friends tell me.

 

[Melburnian1]

Obviously people closer to the issue in a better position to know the reasoning / circumstance / requirements / capabilities, but I seem to recall QF used to get A380 work done by LH at Manila. Maybe not the same capabilities/booked out as well.

Yes, that's my memory, using Lufthansa Technik with its large hangar(s) at MNL.

 

[aus_flyer]

I see the issue with bringing back A380s on MEL_SIN, is what you do with the extra pax when you get there. Still only one daily flight out of SIN to UK, no QF flights to EU (like FRA back in the day). Not sure the holiday/business market in SIN is big enough to justify the extra A380. perhaps @madrooster has a view?

Only a relatively small number (well less than half) of QF pax to SIN continue on to LHR

 

[OATEK]

Only a relatively small number (well less than half) of QF pax to SIN continue on to LHR

Agree, but flying more into SIN from MEL using A380 instead of B787 or A330 probably means more overall wanting to join QF1 wouldn't you think? I hear QF1/2 SIN-LHR-SIN is usually chockers. So that seems to be the constraint. Its not like the good old days back when QF had a lot more flights into LHR from SIN (was it two 747s before it was two A380s?).

 

[aus_flyer]

Agree, but flying more into SIN from MEL using A380 instead of B787 or A330 probably means more overall wanting to join QF1 wouldn't you think? I hear QF1/2 SIN-LHR-SIN is usually chockers. So that seems to be the constraint. Its not like the good old days back when QF had a lot more flights into LHR from SIN (was it two 747s before it was two A380s?).

SYD-SIN and SIN-LHR are both chockers but not with the same people. A lot of people get off in Singapore and then people off the other flights into SIN get on.

Yes, going from a 787 to an A380 is an increase in capacity but it’s not huge in the grand scheme of things when you consider QF operates 2x daily from SYD and MEL, 1x daily from BNE and PER.

 

[RSD]

Agree, but flying more into SIN from MEL using A380 instead of B787 or A330 probably means more overall wanting to join QF1 wouldn't you think? I hear QF1/2 SIN-LHR-SIN is usually chockers. So that seems to be the constraint. Its not like the good old days back when QF had a lot more flights into LHR from SIN (was it two 747s before it was two A380s?).

At one stage I think QF ran 4x daily 747's to LHR

 

[Cheatah]

At one stage I think QF ran 4x daily 747's to LHR

Yes - 2 daily from SIN, 1 each from BKK and HKG.

 

[RSD]

Yes - 2 daily from SIN, 1 each from BKK and HKG.

Back in the day Qantas actually flew laps of the globe - in both directions. I can't remember the route but it was probably SYD-SIN-LHR-JFK-LAX-SYD and the reverse.

 

[Himeno]

Back in the day Qantas actually flew laps of the globe - in both directions. I can't remember the route but it was probably SYD-SIN-LHR-JFK-LAX-SYD and the reverse.

SFO instead of LAX.

They also had routes to London via Mexico and the Bahamas.

The History Of Flight Between The UK and Australia From 1935 Onwards

How flying between the UK and Australia has evolved from the first flights in 1935 which took more than 12 days.

londonairtravel.com

 

[RSD]

SFO instead of LAX.

They also had routes to London via Mexico and the Bahamas.

The History Of Flight Between The UK and Australia From 1935 Onwards

How flying between the UK and Australia has evolved from the first flights in 1935 which took more than 12 days.

londonairtravel.com

I sometimes wonder how much better Qantas would be today if it had of stayed in government ownership and was more able to concentrate on service than profits for shareholders.

 

[OATEK]

SYD-SIN and SIN-LHR are both chockers but not with the same people. A lot of people get off in Singapore and then people off the other flights into SIN get on.

Yes, going from a 787 to an A380 is an increase in capacity but it’s not huge in the grand scheme of things when you consider QF operates 2x daily from SYD and MEL, 1x daily from BNE and PER.

I still think the issue is the number of seats out of SIN to LHR (or anywhere else they might choose). Without extra seats out, I doubt they need or want to put extra seats in. The extras are not going via SIN these days, they are going via PER.

P.S. I prefer going via SIN and not via PER, and I am not pushing either a pro or con QF line. QF wants to carry pax the whole way as much as possible, hence the flights out of PER rather than carrying extras to SIN and they go on with other carriers. The A380s seem to have found their place for now as far as QF is concerned until the next big thing (eg A350).

 

[ksksks]

All I know is they are doing a 12-year check and that will commence mid next year. This is from my engineering friends.
Also still minimal engineering support in AUH where other airlines are getting prioritised.

Have heard next year for OQC as well. Supply chain is another factor driving this apparently.

Obviously people closer to the issue in a better position to know the reasoning / circumstance / requirements / capabilities, but I seem to recall QF used to get A380 work done by LH at Manila. Maybe not the same capabilities/booked out as well.

Yes, some C/D checks were done at Lufthansa Teknik in Manila.. but I believe they are no longer used for the A380 (won't go into details). Abu Dhabi and Dresden have been used more recently.

Lufthansa Tecknik Phillipines is currently used for the A330 though. EBP replaced EBO there last week

 

[RSD]

Have heard next year for OQC as well. Supply chain is another factor driving this apparently.

So besides OQC - which are the other two still stuck in AUH and when might we see them?

 

[elanshin]

So besides OQC - which are the other two still stuck in AUH and when might we see them?

OQK and OQL

OQL needs full cabin refurbishment too (It was the one that was flying with the old cabin).

OQK went there in February for maintenance. This is likely the next plane to return to the fleet.

 

[RSD]

OQK and OQL

OQL needs full cabin refurbishment too (It was the one that was flying with the old cabin).

OQK went there in February for maintenance. This is likely the next plane to return to the fleet.

If it has been there over six months already then it could be a while longer before it comes back. I guess they are trapped there too as they wouldn't be permitted to fly to another facility that could do the work sooner.

 

[ayebee]

OQL needs full cabin refurbishment too (It was the one that was flying with the old cabin).

when you say "full cabin" does that include economy?
Last time I flew on a refurbished A380 the economy seats were still the originals, and showing their age.

 

[moa999]

Still expected to be 2024 at last press release. And the Euro satellite (F2) is now into 2025 launch... On

Actually on latest info the Viasat Asia Satellite F3 is now into late 2025. (Per the Viasat Q1 release)

Post automatically merged: Sep 4, 2024

when you say "full cabin" does that include economy?
Last time I flew on a refurbished A380 the economy seats were still the originals, and showing their age.

Full cabin being minor upgrades to F.. and totally revised upper deck including J suites, larger PE section and blocked doors.