QANTAS Fleet and Operations

[James Smith]

Yes Stirling, the A380 cabin refurbishments have been done in either DRS or AUH. I think that QANTAS has brought OQL home without its cabin refurbishment done to fix a HKG airport staff shortage problem by operating the SYD-HKG-SYD flights from 26/3/23. It is a temporary fix that will allow greater passenger throughput into HKG by only operating one flight from Australia. The alternative A330 aircraft have comparable cabin standards to the un-refurbished A380.

OQL hasn't had its wing spar inspections, as far as I can see, as it is a 50 day operation and the aircraft was only in LAX for 8 days, AUH for 47 days and it will only be 45 days from its crew training flight on 7 & 8/2/23 until the HKG flights commence. Another A380 could operate to HKG for the first five days of the flights as there is now spare capacity as MEL-LAX-MEL A380 flights are not reinstated until late October, 2023. Alternatively, they could perform the inspections quicker by providing more engineering resources. So, if OQL doesn't fly until late March it could be having these inspections done in SYD instead of not flying. We shall see.

[Brad Myer]

I would rate the A330-300 cabin streets ahead of an non refurbished A380.

In J class the A333 business suite is a far better product then the old skybeds found on OQL.

In Y class the A333s have a far newer and more modern seat than the A380 fleet.