Qantas has closed a long chapter in its pandemic recovery by reactivating VH-OQC, the tenth and last of its Airbus A380s, on 5 December 2025 . The super-jumbo landed in Sydney after an extensive 100,000-hour global engineering programme that included heavy maintenance, landing-gear replacement and a full cabin refurbishment with additional premium seating and an upgraded First-class lounge.
The aircraft will serve as an operational spare over the Christmas rush before resuming daily Sydney–Dallas services from 1 January, restoring the carrier’s pre-COVID ultra-long-haul capacity to North America. The move expands one-stop access for Australian passengers and exporters to more than 230 U.S. destinations through Qantas’ joint-venture with American Airlines.
![Qantas returns its final Airbus A380 to service after nearly six years in storage]()
From a global-mobility perspective, the super-jumbo’s return increases premium-cabin inventory on an in-demand corporate route and provides extra cargo belly-space for high-value freight. Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said the refurbishment “will allow even more seats on popular long-haul routes,” signalling the airline’s confidence in sustained corporate and leisure demand.
Travel-management companies report strong early bookings for January, noting that the A380’s four-class layout (including First) offers upgrade opportunities scarce on newer twin-aisle jets. However, analysts caution that Qantas still plans to retire its A380 fleet from 2032, meaning businesses should expect future transitions to smaller A350s.
The aircraft will serve as an operational spare over the Christmas rush before resuming daily Sydney–Dallas services from 1 January, restoring the carrier’s pre-COVID ultra-long-haul capacity to North America. The move expands one-stop access for Australian passengers and exporters to more than 230 U.S. destinations through Qantas’ joint-venture with American Airlines.
From a global-mobility perspective, the super-jumbo’s return increases premium-cabin inventory on an in-demand corporate route and provides extra cargo belly-space for high-value freight. Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said the refurbishment “will allow even more seats on popular long-haul routes,” signalling the airline’s confidence in sustained corporate and leisure demand.
Travel-management companies report strong early bookings for January, noting that the A380’s four-class layout (including First) offers upgrade opportunities scarce on newer twin-aisle jets. However, analysts caution that Qantas still plans to retire its A380 fleet from 2032, meaning businesses should expect future transitions to smaller A350s.
