Qantas completes return of A380 to service

Qantas has welcomed its tenth and final Airbus A380 back to Sydney after nearly six years in storage, marking the largest maintenance check in the airline’s 105-year history.

The aircraft, named after Qantas co-founder Paul McGinness, will serve as an operational spare over the Christmas period and, from January 1, 2026, will increase international capacity by enabling daily A380 flights on the Sydney–Dallas route.

As the world’s largest passenger aircraft, the A380 requires highly specialised engineering. Maintenance and engineering teams from across the globe have completed more than 100,000 hours of work, alongside a full cabin refresh, to prepare Paul McGinness for service. The project represents a major milestone in Qantas’ engineering efforts and its wider fleet renewal programme.

Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said the airline knew its customers were fond of the A380 and noted that the superjumbo fleet had carried more than one million passengers on the international network in the previous year. He explained that the return of the final A380 would allow Qantas to offer additional seats on popular long-haul routes to destinations such as Dallas, Singapore and Johannesburg.

Wallace remarked that bringing an A380 back into service after almost six years in storage was a significant undertaking. He said teams of engineers across the world had completed more than 100,000 hours of work, including extensive checks, heavy maintenance, landing gear replacement, a full cabin refresh and assessment flying, with parts transported by land, sea and air.

Qantas has gradually returned its A380 fleet to service over recent years. Each aircraft has undergone extensive engineering checks and a full cabin refurbishment before rejoining the international network. Every Qantas A380 now features 14 First, 70 Business, 60 Premium Economy and 341 Economy seats, with all aircraft receiving a comprehensive cabin refresh and reconfiguration, including a refurbished First cabin, an upgraded upper-deck lounge, and additional premium seating in Business and Premium Economy.