Qantas moves up A380 retirement to 2028

Qantas has said it will withdraw its Airbus A380 superjumbos from service by 2028, moving the timeline forward from an earlier target of 2032. The carrier said it is in talks with Airbus and Boeing over exercising options to replace both its A380s and its older A330s, with the A330 retirements beginning this year.

The airline currently operates ten A380s, aged between 15 and 18 years, configured for 485 passengers across four cabins. They fly one-stop routes to Europe and North America. Qantas said the aircraft had been important to its recovery after the pandemic, but that supply chain issues affecting the now out-of-production type are raising operational risk and maintenance costs.

According to the airline, a recent rise in jet fuel prices, linked to conflict in the Middle East, has hit the A380 fleet disproportionately hard. Qantas said phasing out the type is expected to improve international earnings and cut operational complexity, adding that newer aircraft replacing it will have greater range, allowing them to serve the carrier's whole international network and open new routes.

The update was disclosed alongside Qantas's full-year results and represents its clearest statement yet on the superjumbo's future. It also comes as the airline prepares to take its first Airbus A350-1000ULR in April 2027, an aircraft intended for ultra-long-haul flights between Australia and Europe under its long-planned nonstop network project. A Qantas executive said the airline now has confidence in delivery schedules for its long-haul widebodies, including Boeing 787-9s due from 2027.