Australian flag carrier Qantas plans to begin retiring its Airbus A380 fleet from 2028, bringing the forward the start superjumbo’s phase-out by more than three years.
The move comes as the airline prepares to receive its ultra-long-range A350-1000s for Project Sunrise, alongside additional Boeing 787-9 deliveries from 2027.
“[Retirement] of the A380 fleet will occur from calendar year 2028 to optimise capital efficiency whilst preserving network reach through the new widebody fleet,” the airline said in its annual report.
According to the Australian Federation of Air Pilots, Qantas told it that the retirement would begin in March 2028
The airline has previously planned to begin retiring the A380 from 2031.
Qantas was the third operator to introduce the A380 into passenger service, having accepted its maiden example in September 2008. A fleet of 12 was complete by December 2011.
Following a pandemic-induced period of storage, the flag carrier embarked upon a lengthy return to service programme which saw the tenth and final example return to service in January this year. Two of the original fleet were permanently retired.
The A330 and Boeing 737 fleets are also expected to be “fully retired by the mid-2030s”. The airline operates 16 A330-200s and 13 A330-300s, alongside 79 737-800s.
Qantas expects to receive its first A350-1000 in April 2027 to support Project Sunrise which will see it fly non-stop from Sydney to London and New York. Flights to London are scheduled to begin in October next year. By November 2027, the airline expects to have received five examples with 12 on order.
Separate to the Project Sunrise fleet, the airline holds firm orders for another 12 A350-1000s and 12 Boeing 787s – four 787-9s and eight 787-10s – as part of its wider international fleet renewal programme.
The first of the 787s will arrive during 2027.
Qantas is also in discussions with Airbus and Boeing over converting around 20 existing widebody purchase rights into firm orders for delivery from 2030. The additional aircraft would provide further capacity as the A330 and A380 fleets are progressively withdrawn.
