QF A380’s
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A few of 380 fleet are going to have their mid life service done in Dresden. You can expect a couple of them to make the hop across the hill from VCV to LAX for gear swings before ferrying to Dresden. One was supposed to be in the next few days but got pushed a bit further to the right. Not sure the time frame on the others.
I’m not sure that this Dresden service includes the upgraded interiors (of which I think 6 were done) and is more like a heavy D check used to be on the Boeings.
Either way it’s good news for the A380 fleet and shows the confidence Qantas management still has in them to make a buck when there are few international restrictions. Personally I reckon we’re a chance of seeing them in revenue service before the end of 2022. Nothing official, just reading between the lines.
I’m not sure that this Dresden service includes the upgraded interiors (of which I think 6 were done) and is more like a heavy D check used to be on the Boeings.
Either way it’s good news for the A380 fleet and shows the confidence Qantas management still has in them to make a buck when there are few international restrictions. Personally I reckon we’re a chance of seeing them in revenue service before the end of 2022. Nothing official, just reading between the lines.
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Hi Keg,
Qantas would liked to not have had to do anything.
sadly for them if They didn’t do the gear swings and D checks those aircraft would become coke cans.
So it was done to keep options available “potentially”.
There is absolutely no guarantee how many or if any A380’s return.Qantas said in a zoom call just this week there is no way they are coming back till 2024.
Dec 2023 at the absolute earliest.Given the Feds 180 on vaccine policy it’s likely that’s delayed even further given the border restrictions won’t be lifted till well into 2022 or later.
Qantas would liked to not have had to do anything.
sadly for them if They didn’t do the gear swings and D checks those aircraft would become coke cans.
So it was done to keep options available “potentially”.
There is absolutely no guarantee how many or if any A380’s return.Qantas said in a zoom call just this week there is no way they are coming back till 2024.
Dec 2023 at the absolute earliest.Given the Feds 180 on vaccine policy it’s likely that’s delayed even further given the border restrictions won’t be lifted till well into 2022 or later.
Nunc est bibendum
I acknowledge the gear swings are necessary. The mid life update is not though. It’s not an insignificant cost and they wouldn’t be expending it if they didn’t think the aeroplanes were coming back. They’re choosing to do this now because they reckon they’ll need the jets back and are getting the work done whilst there isn’t much work for them,
As to when the jet comes back, there are a number of different audiences for whom the current narrative is important. There are a few different things occurring external to that narrative. I won’t go into too much detail here but feel free to give me a buzz.
As to when the jet comes back, there are a number of different audiences for whom the current narrative is important. There are a few different things occurring external to that narrative. I won’t go into too much detail here but feel free to give me a buzz.
I admit that I thought that the A380’s would not return to service in Qantas but, if you can believe recent statements by Joyce, they look like returning.
I suspect they won’t need all 12 of them as QF already had pre COVID plans to replace the A380 with B787 on the SYD-DFW-SYD route (in conjunction with a AA B787 operating DFW-BNE-DFW) and the LHR via SIN route already reduced to one service per day (pre COVID) there doesn’t appear to enough flying for all of them. This would be an opportunity to dispose of the 3 “Wave 1” aircraft which have a higher empty weight & bespoke circuits/system layouts as SQ did with their first 5 “Wave 1” A380’s. I understand that these aircraft have not had the upper deck refurbished and, if they are disposed of, they would be a great source of spare parts - especially engines. This would effectively lower the cost of operating the other 9 aircraft for the remainder of their service life. Time will tell.
I suspect they won’t need all 12 of them as QF already had pre COVID plans to replace the A380 with B787 on the SYD-DFW-SYD route (in conjunction with a AA B787 operating DFW-BNE-DFW) and the LHR via SIN route already reduced to one service per day (pre COVID) there doesn’t appear to enough flying for all of them. This would be an opportunity to dispose of the 3 “Wave 1” aircraft which have a higher empty weight & bespoke circuits/system layouts as SQ did with their first 5 “Wave 1” A380’s. I understand that these aircraft have not had the upper deck refurbished and, if they are disposed of, they would be a great source of spare parts - especially engines. This would effectively lower the cost of operating the other 9 aircraft for the remainder of their service life. Time will tell.
Last edited by Going Boeing; 2nd May 2021 at 10:46.
I admit that I thought that the A380’s would not return to service in Qantas but, if you can believe recent statements by Joyce, they look like returning.
I suspect they won’t need all 12 of them as QF already had pre COVID plans to replace the A380 with B787 on the SYD-DFW-SYD route (in conjunction with a AA B787 operating DFW-BNE-DFW) and the LHR via SIN route already reduced to one service per day (pre COVID) there doesn’t appear to enough flying for all of them. This would be an opportunity to dispose of the 3 “Wave 1” aircraft which have a higher empty weight & bespoke circuits/system layouts as SQ did with their first 5 “Wave 1” A380’s. I understand that these aircraft have not had the upper deck refurbished and, if they are disposed of, they would be a great source of spare parts - especially engines. This would effectively lower the cost of operating the other 9 aircraft for the remainder of their service life. Time will tell.
I suspect they won’t need all 12 of them as QF already had pre COVID plans to replace the A380 with B787 on the SYD-DFW-SYD route (in conjunction with a AA B787 operating DFW-BNE-DFW) and the LHR via SIN route already reduced to one service per day (pre COVID) there doesn’t appear to enough flying for all of them. This would be an opportunity to dispose of the 3 “Wave 1” aircraft which have a higher empty weight & bespoke circuits/system layouts as SQ did with their first 5 “Wave 1” A380’s. I understand that these aircraft have not had the upper deck refurbished and, if they are disposed of, they would be a great source of spare parts - especially engines. This would effectively lower the cost of operating the other 9 aircraft for the remainder of their service life. Time will tell.
Disposing of them would not have been a consideration when the planning was being done.
At The latest A380 zoom the Qantas managers explained the reason to do the maintenance was because if they didn’t, the aircraft could never have the option of being used in the future.They would become scrap.This doesn’t translate to a guarantee they are coming back and is misinformation.
There are no guarantees to bring any or all of the A380s back.Anyone selling this as fact is disingenuous.
The A380s may or may not come back and not until 2024 at the earliest.anyone saying otherwise is telling BS.
There are no guarantees to bring any or all of the A380s back.Anyone selling this as fact is disingenuous.
The A380s may or may not come back and not until 2024 at the earliest.anyone saying otherwise is telling BS.
The “Wave 1” aircraft are obviously QPA/B/C and the registrations that I have seen of the 6 aircraft that have had the upper deck refurbishment were much later builds.
Keeping options open (expensively) to fly an old A380 with zero resale value and suspect future utility sure seems like a craven industrial ploy the more I cynically think about it.
REX will pickup the refurbished A380s at a bargain price and become Australia’s premium carrier. Qantas will revert back to a bi-plane operation and Jetstar will be what Qantas is today.
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Everyone knows Qantas will go back to flying boats
