Qantas superjumbos to return to US route

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This was published 13 years ago

Qantas superjumbos to return to US route

By Matt O'Sullivan

QANTAS is expected to announce as early as next week the resumption of its A380 superjumbo flights on its key international route between Australia and the US.

European air-safety regulators relaxed the requirements last week for checks of the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines used to power the airline's A380s. The engines now have to be inspected after 200 flights, and subsequently every 100, instead of the previous requirement of checks after 20 flights.

Qantas engineers continue to have daily briefings with their counterparts at Rolls-Royce, and the airline is said to be intent on announcing next week a resumption of A380 services to Los Angeles by late January.

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The airline has not flown the A380s on the route since it grounded its fleet of A380s on November 5, a day after one suffered an engine explosion near Singapore.

Although A380 services have since resumed between Australia and London, the airline has not been able to fly them to Los Angeles because of concerns about operating them at high thrust levels. Qantas is eager to return its flagship aircraft to the route because they are more appealing to passengers than its ageing 747-400s.

Global booking systems show that Qantas is preparing to resume A380 services on the route on January 17. However, the airline has plugged in A380 flights before, only to later change the dates.

A Qantas spokeswoman said the airline hoped to have the A380s flying on the route as soon as possible but she emphasised that it would not do so until it was confident they could operate at a higher thrust.

''It is a bit of wait and see. We are hoping to have them on that route sooner rather than later,'' she said.

Qantas has five A380s operating between Australia and London.

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The Nancy Bird-Walton, which suffered the engine explosion on November 4, remains grounded and another A380 is having engines changed at Qantas's jet base at Sydney Airport.

Meanwhile, manufacturer Airbus delivered only 18 A380 superjumbo airliners this year, less than its reduced target of 19. But a spokesman said the company is likely to set a new annual record of more than 500 aircraft of all kinds delivered.

"The aircraft number 19 will be delivered in early January," said an Airbus spokesman.

Qantas, which is due to receive the aircraft, confirmed the delay.

"The next A380 delivery is scheduled for early to mid-January," said a Qantas spokesman.

Airbus company chairman Thomas Enders only two weeks ago had reduced the A380 delivery target to 19 from 20 following the failure of a Rolls Royce engine in a Qantas A380 in November.

Despite the delay in A380 deliveries the European aircraft manufacturer should still set a new annual delivery record.

"It is very likely that we will have delivered more than 500 aircraft," said the Airbus spokesman.

- with AFP

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