Qantas A380 reliability issues creeping up again?

[AIRwin]

Wouldn't want to fly Qf A380 if you had a tight schedule!

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/qantas-flight-to-johannesburg-forced-to-return-to-sydney-after-fault/news-story/d81a4f054be5ef22a7b0e13f6420b9d5

Aircraft was OQL which is now operating QF11 to LAX instead

 

[markis10]

Wouldn't want to fly Qf A380 if you had a tight schedule!

https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/qantas-flight-to-johannesburg-forced-to-return-to-sydney-after-fault/news-story/d81a4f054be5ef22a7b0e13f6420b9d5

Loss of CPDLC would not normally turn around a plane as they have HF, however it’s a requirement to have it working for transit of Joberg Oceanic Airspace.

 

[torks]

VH-OQB is currently returning to Sydney from Abu Dhabi. Not sure if it's a swap or an extra plane returning to service for summer.

 

[vhojm]

VH-OQB is currently returning to Sydney from Abu Dhabi. Not sure if it's a swap or an extra plane returning to service for summer.

OQC is the last plane to return home that is in Abu Dhabi and has been there for 4 years.
OQB would have been there for routine maintenance.

 

[moa999]

Report on YSSY per James Smith that it will be a swap. Suggestion that OQB was getting a landing gear change as no test flights before departure.

looks as though a replacement A380 is going to AUH on Thursday 23/10/25, scheduled to depart SYD at 12:30pm. Not sure which one it will be

 

[moa999]

And OQA heading for AUH today.

 

[cpatters]

Be great if Qantas can get all their A380's back flying without any in maintenance!

 

[moa999]

Be great if Qantas can get all their A380's back flying without any in maintenance!

You generally always have one or two of most of the widebodies in maintenance other than over the Xmas period.

 

[markis10]

You generally always have one or two of most of the widebodies in maintenance other than over the Xmas period.

MROs simply don’t have the room, QF, and LH have yet to get all their A380s back in the air after COVID for that reason and EY got their last A380 back last week. Both EY and LH have their own A380 maintenance facilities.

 

[elanshin]

It doesn't help that OQC has supposedly some serious corrosion so it's not a straightforward.

 

[vhojm]

It doesn't help that OQC has supposedly some serious corrosion so it's not a straightforward.

Wonder if it's bad enough that it would be easier to write the plane off for parts. 15-year-old plane that hasn't flown for 4 years isnt ideal.

 

[elanshin]

Wonder if it's bad enough that it would be easier to write the plane off for parts. 15-year-old plane that hasn't flown for 4 years isnt ideal.

If i were to guess, in the perfect world they probably would. In this reality where they don't have planes, every plane they can get flying is potentially worth it.

 

[Himeno]

If i were to guess, in the perfect world they probably would. In this reality where they don't have planes, every plane they can get flying is potentially worth it.

If they really wanted/needed some A380s, other airlines have some sitting around in storage and don't plan to use them again.
Some of these have been reactivated by an unknown party.

 

[moa999]

Wonder if it's bad enough that it would be easier to write the plane off for parts

Believe all of QFs A380s were subject to wing spar inspections and I suspect a few received remedial work, just OQC seemingly the worst of them.

Anyhow by now it's mostly a sunk cost with OQC meant to return by Xmas.

EASA Targets Oldest Airbus A380s For Wing Crack Inspections

Following the discovery of unexpected cracks in the Airbus A380 wings, the EASA has issued another proposed airworthiness directive to address it.

simpleflying.com

really wanted/needed some A380s, other airlines have some sitting around in storage and don't plan to use them again.
Some of these have been reactivated by an unknown party

Like Global's 2 flights ??

Issue would be compatibility. Differences in options, layout, seats etc all add complexity to operations.
Plus any aircraft that has been sitting in storage for a long time needs extensive return to service checks, and you run into the same difficulties that QF has had over the last few years - getting A booking with one of the A380 facilities.

 

[markis10]

If they really wanted/needed some A380s, other airlines have some sitting around in storage and don't plan to use them again.
Some of these have been reactivated by an unknown party.

Most of them have seats that are no longer certified, following the scandalous falsifications Japanese company Koito Industries made for their product.

 

[Berlin]

And OQA heading for AUH today.

Yea-I saw that on Flightradar. What’s that for- some major engineering check?

 

[exLXCXFF]

just OQC seemingly the worst of them

Is it true that VH-OQC has been in Abu Dhabi since 2021. If so, why? Surely, the haven’t been working on that plane for 4 years.

 

[RSD]

Is it true that VH-OQC has been in Abu Dhabi since 2021. If so, why? Surely, the haven’t been working on that plane for 4 years.

From what I understand Abu Dhabi is one of only about three or four facilities in the world that can do the heavy maintenance checks on A380's, and there was a huge backlog of A380's waiting to be done after COVID, Qantas gave all of their A380's to Abu Dhabi to do and the Qantas A380's seemed to have the least priority of the A380's at Abu Dhabi. VH-OQC was identified early in the process as having significant corrosion in the wing spars so that is why it has probably been left to last.