Qantas to Grow A380 Fleet and Launch Melbourne-London A380 Services
Melbourne, 22 December 2009
Qantas announced today it had taken delivery of its fifth new A380 aircraft, with a sixth to arrive in coming days, and would commence A380 services between Melbourne and London via Singapore on 18 January, 2010.
Qantas Chief Executive Officer, Mr Alan Joyce, said the arrival of the airline's fifth A380 yesterday, and sixth aircraft in the New Year, would allow it to launch the new A380 route.
"Qantas' inaugural A380 service in October 2008 was between Melbourne and Los Angeles," Mr Joyce said.
"With the arrival of two new aircraft, growing our A380 fleet to six, we are pleased to be able to offer customers a second route option out of Melbourne - to London via Singapore."
From 18 January, the A380 will operate one to two flights per week on the route (QF9 on Mondays and Sundays and the return QF10 on Fridays and Saturdays), with regular twice-weekly flights to commence on 29 March.
The fifth Qantas A380 is named Lawrence Hargrave, after the inventor of the box kite. The airline's sixth A380, is named Charles Kingsford-Smith, after Australia's most famous aviator who made the first trans-Pacific flight from the USA to Australia in 1928. Both will enter service in January.
Mr Joyce said that, with a six-strong fleet, Qantas' A380 schedule from 29 March would be:
* Sydney-Los Angeles services - daily services (currently four per week);
* Sydney-Singapore-London - five services per week;
* Melbourne-Los Angeles - three services per week (currently two per week); and
* Melbourne-Singapore-London - two services per week.
"More than 500,000 people have now flown on Qantas A380 services, and it remains extremely popular with our customers," he said.
"The arrival of these new, state-of-the aircraft, with their cabins designed by Marc Newson, will see Qantas serving both the UK and Los Angeles with A380 flights from Melbourne and Sydney."
Lawrence Hargrave (1850-1915) was one of aviation's most important inventors and innovators. He came to Australia from England in 1872 and is best remembered as the inventor of the box kite in 1894. His aviation insights were wide-ranging, including the curved wing and the radial rotary engine.
Charles Kingsford-Smith (1897-1935) is considered to have pioneered more long distance routes than any pilot in history. He made the first trans-Pacific flight from the United States to Australia in 1928, as well as the first non-stop crossing of the Australian mainland, the first flight between Australia and New Zealand, and the first from Australia across the Pacific to the United States in 1934.
Frequentflyer From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 736 posts, RR: 3 Reply 3, posted (3 years 4 months 4 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 5993 times:
Do we have any indication yet as to 380 yield/profitability, or anticipation?
Airvan00 From Australia, joined Oct 2008, 710 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 5131 times:
Quoting Dalavia (Reply 6): Pity they decided to add another A380 flight through SIN rather than making the MEL-HKG-LHR flight an A380.
That could have created some serious interest in Hong Kong.
I agree, but by keeping to SIN they are not starting a new port of call for their A380's. Qantas is the most risk adverse / conservative airline in the world. Sometime that is frustrating for us, but I suppose that has got them where they are today.
Jayeshrulz From India, joined Apr 2007, 1000 posts, RR: 4 Reply 8, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 4861 times:
Isn't is true that A380 uses 7% more fuel than 747?
But then i think low CASM will cover it up...but what if the flights go with loads of only 50%?
will it still be profitable?What is the traffic b/w MEL and LHR?
Frequentflyer From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 736 posts, RR: 3 Reply 9, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 4664 times:
Quoting QANTAS077 (Reply 5): is that a serious question? its being used on the most profitable QF routes so the answer is already known
Was looking for some specifics, figures. At best, a comparison with 744 for ex.
Gemuser From Australia, joined Nov 2003, 5217 posts, RR: 6 Reply 10, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 7 hours ago) and read 4418 times:
Quoting Jayeshrulz (Reply 8): Isn't is true that A380 uses 7% more fuel than 747?
According to the CEO of SQ an A380 has trip costs (that is total costs, not just fuel) about 3-4% higher than a B744.
Quoting Jayeshrulz (Reply 8): But then i think low CASM will cover it up...but what if the flights go with loads of only 50%?
will it still be profitable?What is the traffic b/w MEL and LHR?
For that 4% increase in costs you get 9% more seats compared to the 2 class, 412 seat B744 and a whopping 47% more seats compared to the 4 class, 307 seat B744ER. You better believe that CASK is lower.
As far as low load go, the A380 is going to have greater costs than the B744 by 4% at any load factor, so yes the down side will be a little lower, but the up side during peak times will be a h**l of a lot higher, more than enough to off set the higher costs in low demand times. If in a particular situation that is not true then you don't operate the A380 (nor these days the B744), you substitute an A330.
As for MEL-LHR, believe me there is enough traffic to justify an A380. Even in these tough times it's still 12 weekly with the B744. SYD-LHR is down to 11 weekly, but it has 5 of those operated by A380s AND 14 weekly BA flights with a B744 & B772, which is part of the Joint Services Agreement (JSA) so QF benefits from those too.
Panman From Trinidad and Tobago, joined Aug 1999, 789 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 4305 times:
Oh God no. 5 days a week was bad enough. At least they were on the ground for only 5 hours at the most. Now we have the first arrival and last departure AAAARRRGGGHH!!!!
KL911 From Ireland, joined Jul 2003, 4974 posts, RR: 14 Reply 12, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 4273 times:
Quoting Panman (Reply 11): Oh God no. 5 days a week was bad enough. At least they were on the ground for only 5 hours at the most. Now we have the first arrival and last departure AAAARRRGGGHH!!!!
And you're based in Trinidad and Tobago?? How many QF A380's stop there for 5 hours? (Which is a lousy utilisation anyway. )
" The European consumer would crawl naked over broken glass to get low fares." Michael O'Leary
Alangirvan From New Zealand, joined Nov 2000, 2091 posts, RR: 1 Reply 14, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 4168 times:
So, this will make a daily LHR-SIN for the A380? I think on LHR-SIN-MEL most passengers will get out of the plane at SIN, and get onto SIN-SYD (continuation of FRA-SIN-SYD.)
Panman From Trinidad and Tobago, joined Aug 1999, 789 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 4149 times:
Quoting Alangirvan (Reply 14): So, this will make a daily LHR-SIN for the A380?
No.
LHR Will see the A380 as follows:
From Melbourne Via Singapore
QF 9: STA 0525 Th/Sa
QF10: STD 2200 Th/Sa
(Well whatever day of the week they decide on as what's written in that press release doesn't make sense. The 9 leaves on Monday/Saturday and returns Friday/Sunday?)
From Sydney Via Singapore
QF31: STA 0620 Su/M/W/F/Sa
QF32: STD 1105 Su/M/W/F/Sa
IndianicWorld From Australia, joined Jun 2001, 2402 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 4074 times:
Quoting Alangirvan (Reply 14): So, this will make a daily LHR-SIN for the A380? I think on LHR-SIN-MEL most passengers will get out of the plane at SIN, and get onto SIN-SYD (continuation of FRA-SIN-SYD.)
What makers you think that 'most' passengers will get onto a SYD bound flight from SIN? Sorry, but reading the previous posts would tell you that the MEL-SIN sector will also be heavily utilised. SYD bound services are often heavily made up of MEL or BNE bound traffic, because of less available capacity to those citiies. With the addition of the a380 on the MEL route this will help alleviate that need.
Its good to see that QF is making efforts to give more services to stations outside of SYD.
Zkpilot From New Zealand, joined Mar 2006, 4739 posts, RR: 10 Reply 17, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 4046 times:
Quoting Gemuser (Reply 10):
For that 4% increase in costs you get 9% more seats compared to the 2 class, 412 seat B744 and a whopping 47% more seats compared to the 4 class, 307 seat B744ER. You better believe that CASK is lower.
Yes but whilst this is the case, the reduction in seats for the 4 class is due to more premium seats... more than half the plane is F,J,W (Y+). If those are sold then that flight is making big $$
Alangirvan From New Zealand, joined Nov 2000, 2091 posts, RR: 1 Reply 18, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 1 hour ago) and read 3937 times:
sorry, I do not know what made me think that the LHR-SIN A380 passengers would be going to Sydney. But when I was on a QF SYD-SIN flight it was announced which gate the SIN-LHR flight would be using. So I take it some SYD overflow passengers will be on flights meant for MEL
Gemuser From Australia, joined Nov 2003, 5217 posts, RR: 6 Reply 20, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 3695 times:
Quoting Zkpilot (Reply 17):
Yes but whilst this is the case, the reduction in seats for the 4 class is due to more premium seats... more than half the plane is F,J,W (Y+). If those are sold then that flight is making big $$
The A380 & B744ER have almost the same number of premium seats, 14F, 72J (A380) v 66J (B744ER) and 32Y+ v 40 Y+ for a total of 118-A380, 120-B744ER. So if the B744ER is making big bucks so is the A380 and it has an extra 145 Y seats as well.
I think that is the point of the A380 for QF, it can haul around the same premium seats PLUS an extra 145Y seats as the B744, all for 3-4% increase in trip costs.
Airvan00 From Australia, joined Oct 2008, 710 posts, RR: 1 Reply 21, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 3433 times:
Quoting Panman (Reply 15): (Well whatever day of the week they decide on as what's written in that press release doesn't make sense. The 9 leaves on Monday/Saturday and returns Friday/Sunday?)
Your mistake is to assume that 9 returns as 10. It is more logical from an operational point of view, for 9 to return as 32. I suspect the rotation will be something like SYD-LAX-MEL-SIN-LHR-SIN-SYD and reverse. That avoids the current SYD- MEL ferry flights which were useful for crew training but are now probably unnecessary.
Panman From Trinidad and Tobago, joined Aug 1999, 789 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 5 days 17 hours ago) and read 3334 times:
Yes.
I am fully aware of the swap over of the aircraft as I see them everyday. But It still doesn't make sense....
We get the Su/M/W/F/Sa rotations on the 31/32
Going by the press release, we are going to get the 9/10 380 rotations on the Su/M (9 in) F/Sa (10 out).
So seeing that on Sunday and Monday we have 2 A380s in and 1 A380 out and on F/Sa we have 1 A380 in and 2 A380 does that mean Qantas are going to be making HAL very happy by keeping 2 A380's on the ground from Monday to Friday?
777STL From United States of America, joined Dec 2004, 3032 posts, RR: 3 Reply 24, posted (3 years 4 months 3 weeks 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 3156 times:
Quoting Panman (Reply 13): The second person that thinks the flag means that is where you actually are......
That's the whole point....despite what people do otherwise...
No one cares when your next flight is....
25 Airvan00: You and I both know that they are not going to keep an A380 idle on the ground at LHR for 4 days . Just looking at the first day of this new servi
26 EK413: No more delivery's until Oct 2010... EK413
27 VHMATHY: Isn't QF taking delivery of 3 380s in 2010? Why do they take them in such quick succession if the first one isnt arriving until October? By the way E
28 ZK-NBT: There are no current plans I don't think for OEB to be parked. OJF I think is the 4th aircraft to leave and I believe OJR is also for sale. They dela
29 AirNewZealand: The 747 will be getting a face lift starting FEB (announcement expected then also) to match the A380 product, therefore LHR/SIN/LAX will be getting a
30 Airvan00: Qantas have announced to the market that they will take 3 in FY10 and 5 in FY 11. Qantas reports at the 30th June. So looks like OQD, OQE and the soo
31 Smi0006: I look forward to this! I wonder if we will see any changed in the A330 fleet? I think as the market improves we will see them used more out of MEL t
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