Qantas A380
From July 2022, Qantas will once again fly the Airbus A380 on its Kangaroo Route from Sydney to London.
In late March 2022, the flying kangaroo superjumbo will take to the skies on the Sydney-Los Angeles route, with Qantas proposing to transform both A380 routes into ‘points planes’, with the lowest number of ‘classic reward’ frequent flyer points available for every seat from economy to first class.
Foreseeing that demand for international travel would not return to pre-Covid levels until 2023 or 2024, the airline parked its double-decker jets in California’s Mojave Desert in the early days of the pandemic.
One bright spot is that, with quarantine no longer required for fully vaccinated travellers, Australia’s borders are once again open to everybody.
The QF1/QF2 flights on a Boeing 787-9 will continue until late September, according to Qantas’ most recent prediction for the return of the Sydney-Singapore-London A380.
As reported by Executive Traveller, Qantas is moving towards the July 2022 deadline and bringing more A380s out of dormancy as the past two years have proven how much can happen and change rapidly.
Qantas’ returning superjumbos will include new business class cabins and lounge rooms on the upper deck.
There will be two new ‘premium lounges’ located at the front of the top deck on all returning A380s, as well as refurbished first-class suites on the upper deck.
By the end of 2017, Qantas aims to have six A380s in its Sydney hangars, with four more expected to return to service by early 2024 – however, the airline says two of the 12-strong superjumbo fleet will be retired “because they will be surplus to needs.”.
A Boeing 787 Dreamliner will replace the A380 on Qantas’ Sydney-London QF1 service, which resumed on November 1, 2021, with a layover in Darwin rather than Singapore until the end of March 2022.
Source: Executive Traveller
Star Alliance Named World’s Leading Airline Alliance for 2025 at World Travel Awards
Emirates Ends 2025 on a High with Five World Travel Awards and Over 20 Global Honours
Oceania Riviera Makes Stylish Sydney Debut for First Australia Season
Qantas Unveils New Auckland International Lounge Ahead of Holiday Rush
Emirates A350 Debuts in Adelaide with New Premium Economy, Boosting Connectivity and Comfort to Dubai
Qantas Elevates A380 First Class with New Fine Dining, Aesop Amenity Kits and Bollinger Champagne
Stray Nomad 2025: A Year in Review
Crystal Serenity Unveils 2028 Amazon, Caribbean and Azores Voyages
Explora Journeys and Hilton Unite for a New Era of Luxury Ocean Travel with Launch of Hilton Honors Adventures