Final Superjumbo Makes Return To Oz

The return of the aircraft, named after one of the Qantas founders, ‘Paul McGinness’, will serve as an operational spare during the Christmas period.

From January 1 it will boost international capacity by allowing daily A380 flying on the airline’s Sydney – Dallas route.

Maintenance and engineering teams from around the world have completed more than 100,000 hours of work along with a full cabin refresh to prepare ‘Paul McGinness’ to rejoin the international fleet.

Qantas has progressively brought its A380 fleet back into service over the last few years. Each aircraft has undergone extensive engineering checks along with a full cabin refurbishment before returning to the fleet.

“We know our customers love our A380 aircraft and last year our superjumbo fleet carried over 1 million people on our international network,” said Cam Wallace, Qantas International CEO.

“The return of our final A380 means we can offer even more seats on popular long-haul routes to destinations like Dallas, Singapore and Johannesburg.

“Bringing an A380 back into service after nearly six years in storage is no small feat.”

Each Qantas A380 aircraft features 14 first, 70 business, 60 premium economy and 341 economy seats.

Qantas recently announced plans to roll out a suite of enhancements for First cabin customers travelling on the A380 including elevated dining options, exclusive Aesop amenity kits, Bollinger champagne and redesigned pyjamas.

The return of the final Qantas A380 will allow daily flying on Qantas’ Sydney-Dallas route, boosting international capacity and unlocking more one-stop connections to over 230 destinations across the U.S. through Qantas’ partnership with American Airlines.

# Qantas has launched direct services linking Perth with Johannesburg and Auckland, marking a significant expansion of the airline’s western international hub.

Flight QF65 departed Perth Airport yesterday bound for Johannesburg, opening a direct link for the national carrier between Western Australia and South Africa.

The departure comes after Perth welcomed QF112 from Auckland, the first Qantas service connecting New Zealand with Western Australia.

The milestone reinforces the growth of Qantas’ expanding international western hub, connecting three continents and adding more than 150,000 seats in and out of Perth each year, creating jobs to support the local Western Australia economy and boosting inbound tourism to the state.

https://www.qantas.com/en-au