News
Joyce doesn’t want remaining A380s
August 12th 2016
"Our intention is that we're not taking those aircraft," Qantas Airways CEO, Alan Joyce, has told an aviation conference in Brisbane, referring to the remaining eight A380s the airline has on order. Read More »
"We believe there's a network for 12 that's very good and works very well," Joyce said. "We struggle with a network for the next eight."
Qantas would instead focus on direct point-to-point traffic, its chief noted, ideally suited to its incoming fleet of eight B787-9s from October 2017.
Airbus has been struggling to find buyers for its iconic A380 superjumbo. Existing operators Air France, Lufthansa and Etihad Airways have all gone on record saying they would not place top-up orders, while an existing order for six A380s from Virgin Atlantic Airways is likely to meet the same fate as the remaining eight Qantas orders. This leaves Dubai’s Emirates Airline as the one committed buyer of the aircraft.
Airbus last month announced it would reduce production of the A380 to twelve airframes a year from 2018, down from 27 in 2015.
Back in Australia, Qantas this week announced a A$23 million ($17.7 million) investment in a new B787-9 full-flight simulator for its Mascot training centre. Qantas previously said it would recruit 170 new pilots between now and 2020 as part of its Dreamliner programme. The Qantas Group already operates a B787 simulator at its Melbourne training facility, used by its Jetstar unit.
Qantas has another 15 options and 30 purchase rights for the B787-9.
