Qantas to retire A380 fleet by 2028, ahead of earlier schedule

Qantas has announced it will retire its Airbus A380 fleet by 2028, moving up a retirement date that had previously been set for 2032. The airline made the announcement on August 26, 2026, during a presentation of its full-year financial results in Sydney.

The carrier said strong travel demand had not offset the effect of rising jet fuel prices, which it linked to conflict in the Middle East earlier in the year. Qantas said the fuel price spike could have cost it as much as AU$610 million, though mitigation measures reduced the impact to roughly AU$420 million. Four-engine aircraft such as the A380 are particularly exposed to higher fuel costs, the airline noted.

The decision comes shortly after Qantas completed the reactivation of its A380s, which had been grounded during the COVID-19 pandemic. The last aircraft only returned to service in December 2025, and at least one has already been pulled from the fleet for maintenance. During the aircraft's time out of service, Qantas had refurbished their cabins, including upgrades to first class and the upper-deck lounge.

Qantas said it plans to enter talks with Airbus and Boeing to convert existing purchase options into firm orders, though it did not give specific numbers. The airline already has orders in place for A350-1000s under its long-haul "Project Sunrise" plan, connecting Australia's east coast with London and New York from late 2027, as well as A350-1000s, Boeing 787-10s and 787-9s intended to replace its ageing A330 fleet under a separate fleet-renewal program.