What will Qantas do with 14 A380s?

13 replies

DrTGanguly

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 20 Nov 2011

Total posts 107

What will Qantas do with 14 A380s?

DrTGanguly

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 20 Nov 2011

Total posts 107

So Qantas have 12 A380s.  I am trying to work out where they all are on the schedule. On any given day there are 2 doing LHR - MEL, 2 doing LHR - SYD, 2 doing SYD - LAX, 2 doing MEL - LAX....that totals 8, and now one doing SYD - HKG 4 days a week.

That is 9 out of 12.  Presuiming that one of the 12 aircraft is Nancy Bird Walton, and as such is till out of service in ?Singapore, does that mean that at any one time 2 A380s are not in service and idling at airports around the world?  If so what will the A380 schedule look like in a few months when birds 13 and 14 arrive.  It seems to me that Qantas will have 14 birds to cover a schedule that currently requires 9...

My bets are that QF 107/108 will move to the A380 (bringing the toal number of active aircraft from 9 to 11), what about QF 63/64 to Johannesburg? (13/14)  Or possibly QF23/24 to Bangkok?  Either way they clearly have a few planes to play with, and given that the 14 A380s will soon be the only planes in the QF fleet with F seats, they essentially have to be used on routes from SYD/MEL.  Any thoughts or rummours?

undertheradar Banned

Member since 28 Oct 2011

Total posts 234

you may find they need at least 10 or 11 aircraft to achieve the daily MEL/SYD-LHR and MEL/SYD-LAX and SYD-HKG  schedule as most of them have a lengthy 'rest' of around 16hrs in either LHR or LAX, plus time needed on the ground at MEL/SYD to carry out maintenence/checks etc after each 'trip' away!!  which means they arent quite available for their next 'trip' as soon as you may think...at present you will still find the occassional  744 on these routes...once Nancy Bird Walton re-commences her flying career in late March this will enable a more reliable daily service to LHR and LAX

aircraft 13 and 14 (will NOT have First Class) are due second half 2013 could end up anywhere on the network by then!!!  but rumours are JNB, BKK, LAX (107/108), even HKG... they could also be 'intertwined' into the current LHR and LAX schedule for certain days if demand for First Class travel 'changes' and certain routes may not require a daily First Class service but still require an A380! just a thought!

DrTGanguly

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 20 Nov 2011

Total posts 107

I had forgotten about 13 & 14 having no F cabin!  I guess that means the end to F service to BKK, JNB etc...one move that I don't understand is the decission to axe HKG - LHR, it's QFs second largest hub in Asia. If QF are looking at bringing it back they must be planning it for a non-F class A380 or a 787-9...after all they only leased their extra slots at Heathrow to BA. So the final 6 A380s (DFW, JNB, PEK/PUD??), with 50-60 A380s and 787 QF will have some room for route expansion!

AirportParty

Member since 27 Jan 2012

Total posts 60

language! please!

DrTGanguly

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 20 Nov 2011

Total posts 107

really useful contribution you are making here AirportParty......

undertheradar Banned

Member since 28 Oct 2011

Total posts 234

who knows what will happen that far down the track.. there's been  constant rumours at QF of a one stop OZ- PEK or PVG-LHR flight or even a nonstop PER-LHR on QF metal.. and fleet renewal (replacement of QF int A333/332s) and JQ will get their share as well ...but i'm no longer an 'insider' at QF so my rumour mill is drying up!!!  i was guaranteed a new rumour every day whilst on the 'inside'.. so now its just a guessing game

AirportParty

Member since 27 Jan 2012

Total posts 60

everyone hates you

chrisjrn

Member since 09 May 2011

Total posts 177

Probably load them up with passengers and fly them places.

AirportAddict

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

Member since 05 Jan 2012

Total posts 175

Yeah i they might get pilots to fly them... that a fair assumption?

Austline

Member since 23 Aug 2011

Total posts 43

Everyone has forgotten one very important fact QF is currently reconfiguring the A380's in MNL, reducing J and increasing Y. We will now see Y class seats on the U/D. This will take some time so I think even with the reintroduction of Nancy into the fleet the current A380 schedule will be arouind for a while.

Big rumour FRA is going NW 12/13 schedule, anyone else heard this? 

DrTGanguly

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 20 Nov 2011

Total posts 107

Frankfurt is going NW? Sorry, can you elaborate on this?

AirportParty

Member since 27 Jan 2012

Total posts 60

smash em, thank you

yoshisturt

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

Member since 29 Mar 2012

Total posts 45

I believe that they are going to introduce new routes. Probably, like you said, to China. Definately down the track they will be replacing the A330 to Shanghai with the a380, but in the meantime I think that they are putting all of them on the Australia-LHR, Australia-LAX, and SYD-HKG routes. I dont think that an A380 will be on the South Africa flight, partly because there is no real 'premium' business on that route, a reconfigured 747-400ER is likely on that route. Frankfurt is a possibilty, but more down the track.

Kind Regards

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