Qantas A380 reliability issues creeping up again?

[yachty]

I would say that someone at QF would be too embarrassed to suggest that considering that they scrapped two and have four parked in the Middle East - three of which have been gathering dust there for a long time - I'm not sure that they could explain that to shareholders either...

That's exactly the same as the A330s though isn't it... four left the fleet over the last few years and then there was a shortfall, hence the Finnair wet lease. The shareholders don't seem too phased.

 

[RSD]

That's exactly the same as the A330s though isn't it... four left the fleet over the last few years and then there was a shortfall, hence the Finnair wet lease. The shareholders don't seem too phased.

They don't own any A330's that are sitting in the desert gathering dust though.

 

[JasonK]

QF1 today delayed by 6 hours and counting, this is becoming unacceptable tbh

 

[levelnine]

What a basket case. Hope someone in the media picks this up and puts Qantas' feet to the fire.

 

[RSD]

What a basket case. Hope someone in the media picks this up and puts Qantas' feet to the fire.

Its getting to point where if they still cared it would be embarrassing!

 

[moa999]

Appears VH-OQB wasn't in perfect condition when it arrived back from AUH. This evening's QF11 already 3.5hrs late departing and yet to go.

 

[moa999]

And why QF can't "borrow" or wet lease like they've done with the Finnair A330's?

Wouldn't matter.. not enough 3rd party maintenance shops to return them to service. You'd be paying for another plane to sit on the ground.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Wouldn't matter.. not enough 3rd party maintenance shops to return them to service. You'd be paying for another plane to sit on the ground.

If only QF had the largest A380 customer, as some sort of partner, to share the love with..

 

[jase05]

If only QF had the largest A380 customer, as some sort of partner, to share the love with..

EK wouldn’t have any spare.

 

[RSD]

EK wouldn’t have any spare.

Exactly - a few of their A380's are in getting new cabin interiors including premium economy - so as they can provide an even better service to steal more customers from Qantas!

 

[Gavros333]

Not sure how accurate this is but I was speaking with a QF pilot regarding the A380 fleet. He told me that they scrapped OQE and OQF to save money as they were due for a major check. However OQC which has been sitting in Abu Dhabi has substantial corrosion in the wing spars and is going to cost more to repair than the checks on the two scrapped frames would have cost. Trying to save dollars in the short term has now cost them.

 

[RSD]

Not sure how accurate this is but I was speaking with a QF pilot regarding the A380 fleet. He told me that they scrapped OQE and OQF to save money as they were due for a major check. However OQC which has been sitting in Abu Dhabi has substantial corrosion in the wing spars and is going to cost more to repair than the checks on the two scrapped frames would have cost. Trying to save dollars in the short term has now cost them.

If that is so I wonder if they have actually started doing the work yet to get it fixed and back in the air?

 

[Gavros333]

If that is so I wonder if they have actually started doing the work yet to get it fixed and back in the air?

Apparently they are back of the queue behind Emirates and Etihad in reactivating their A380’s. If it is indeed economically viable to get back to airworthy condition.

 

[moa999]

He told me that they scrapped OQE and OQF to save money as they were due for a major check

They scrapped two aircraft because they never really had profitable routes for 12.. before Covid the last two were always being juggled (eg. HKG without First over Summer). And OQB-OQD had had more recent mechanical work (OQA is viewed as younger afaik due to its time off line).

As the 350XLRs arrive I wouldn't be surprised to see a few more scrapped.

 

[Gavros333]

They scrapped two aircraft because they never really had profitable routes for 12.. before Covid the last two were always being juggled (eg. HKG without First over Summer). And OQB-OQD had had more recent mechanical work (OQA is viewed as younger afaik due to its time off line).

As the 350XLRs arrive I wouldn't be surprised to see a few more scrapped.

Yeah that’s what I meant to add. They chose to scrap those younger frames instead of two of the older ones due to the others having more recent overhauls

 

[TomVexille]

93 is cancelled tomorrow

 

[arrow]

93 is cancelled tomorrow

So it continues…. They really need to get the those 2 A380s back.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Trying to save dollars in the short term has now cost them.

And yet they still gave him a bonus.

 

[elanshin]

They scrapped two aircraft because they never really had profitable routes for 12.. before Covid the last two were always being juggled (eg. HKG without First over Summer). And OQB-OQD had had more recent mechanical work (OQA is viewed as younger afaik due to its time off line).

I'm still surprised though. Back then they were still trying to force the 380 to replace the 747 at HND (yes i know about the restrictions which QF was trying to get HND to change).


And surely they were already thinking about replacing the JNB 747 with a 380 potentially.

As the 350XLRs arrive I wouldn't be surprised to see a few more scrapped.

At this point, I don't think we'll see the 380s retire until QF gets a lot more planes. I'm sure there's a bunch of routes QF would like to try out or increase frequency if they had more midsized widebodies and 380s can free up 787/330s (like MEL-SIN consolidation).

 

[Cloud9]

I'm still surprised though. Back then they were still trying to force the 380 to replace the 747 at HND (yes i know about the restrictions which QF was trying to get HND to change).


And surely they were already thinking about replacing the JNB 747 with a 380 potentially.


At this point, I don't think we'll see the 380s retire until QF gets a lot more planes. I'm sure there's a bunch of routes QF would like to try out or increase frequency if they had more midsized widebodies and 380s can free up 787/330s (like MEL-SIN consolidation).

With the current unreliability of the 380s, and how busy the MEL-SIN corridor is, that feels like it would be playing right into the hands of SQ