Qantas will begin retiring its Airbus A380 fleet in 2028, bringing forward the replacement of the superjumbo by about four years as the airline accelerates the renewal of its long-haul fleet.
The Australian carrier currently operates 10 A380s and had previously planned to begin replacing them around fiscal 2032. That timeline was still being cited in Qantas fleet planning documents as recently as 2025.
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CEO Vanessa Hudson confirmed the revised schedule as Qantas released its fiscal 2026 results. The airline expects the first A380s to leave the fleet from 2028 as additional Boeing 787s and Airbus A350s become available.
Age is increasingly affecting the economics of the fleet. Airbus ended A380 production in 2021, and Hudson said maintenance expenses and the cost of operational disruptions associated with the aircraft are expected to increase over time.
The decision comes as Qantas faces another sharp increase in its fuel bill. The airline said higher fuel costs associated with conflict in the Middle East reduced second-half earnings by A$420 million. Its fuel bill is expected to increase by another A$1 billion in the first half of the current financial year compared with the same period a year earlier.
That environment adds another disadvantage for the four-engine A380 as Qantas introduces newer twin-engine aircraft into its long-haul operation.
A380 replacement accelerates
Qantas had already established the eventual replacement path for the A380 in 2023, when it ordered additional Boeing 787s and Airbus A350-1000s.
That order included four 787-9s, eight 787-10s and 12 A350-1000s for conventional long-haul operations. At the time, Qantas said those aircraft would progressively replace its A330s and eventually its A380s, with superjumbo replacement expected from around fiscal 2032.
They are separate from the 12 specially configured A350-1000ULRs ordered for Project Sunrise, which will operate nonstop services from Australia’s east coast to destinations including London and New York.
Qantas is now discussing another expansion of its future widebody fleet. The airline is negotiating with Airbus and Boeing to convert around 20 existing purchase rights and options into firm orders for additional A350s and 787s, with deliveries from 2030.
Those aircraft would help support the accelerated A380 retirement as well as future international growth.
The decision gives the A380 a much clearer end date at Qantas after the airline invested heavily in returning the type following the pandemic. All 10 surviving aircraft were progressively reactivated and underwent cabin refurbishment after the carrier permanently retired two A380s during the Covid-19 crisis.
Qantas introduced the A380 in 2008 and originally operated 12 aircraft. The type has since returned to some of the airline’s most important long-haul markets, including services to London, Los Angeles and Singapore.
