Qatar Airways cuts Australian superjumbo flights

Qatar Airways will trim its Australian superjumbo schedule to just one city from this week, with Sydney retaining a daily Airbus A380 while Perth loses the crowd-pleasing double-decker..

While lacking the Gulf carrier’s flagship business class Qsuites, the A380 still sports spacious and well-appointed flatbed business class seats and the popular upper deck lounge.

Business class on Qatar Airways' A380.

Rounding out the premium passenger experience are eight open-style first class suites.

First class on Qatar Airways' A380.

The Qatar Airways A380 has been a fixture in the Perth-Doha skies since late 2022 (and before then, from 2018 until the pandemic took hold in early 2020).

But with Virgin Australia launching Perth-Doha flights – albeit on jets supplied by Qatar Airways, which will also provide the crew and catering – on Wednesday June 25, Qatar Airways will move its own Perth-Doha flights from the A380 to a Boeing 777 to balance out capacity against demand on the 12-hour route.

With two flights per day to Doha – Qatar Airways’ QR901, and Virgin Australia’s VA21 –  the surge in seat capacity means the A380 is now too large for the WA capital.

It looks like only Virgin's 777 flight will feature the private business class Qsuites.

Both the Qatar Airways and Virgin Australia 77 flights will include the highly-praised private Qsuites in business class.

Here’s how the Perth-Doha schedule will look:

• Virgin Australia VA21 departs Perth at 3.20pm, arriving in Doha at 9.50pm the same day
• Qatar Airways QR901 leaves Perth at 10.45pm to reach Doha the next day at 5.10am

The return legs touch down in Perth at 11.55am (VA22) and 6.40pm (QR900), so travellers can choose to be home for lunch or dinner.

Qatar Airways is now flying eight of its original ten Airbus A380s, with the superjumbos continuing to visit Sydney, London, Paris, and Bangkok.

Also read: We review Virgin Australia’s new 777 business class to Doha