Qantas A380’s early return delivers superjumbo morale boost

A Qantas A380 not expected back in the country until late-2023, has landed in Sydney delivering a superjumbo boost to morale.

Qantas has welcomed back one of its 12 A380s, after 593-days in storage due to the Covid crisis. Picture: Supplied.

The first of Qantas’s A380 fleet has returned home to Sydney after 593-days offshore, delivering a superjumbo-sized boost to morale for the airline.

Named Hudson Fysh after one of Qantas’s founders, the double-decker jet flew non-stop for almost 19-hours from Dresden in Germany with four pilots on board.

As one of 12 A380s placed into long storage at the start of the Covid pandemic, the aircraft underwent 4500-hours of work to prepare for its return to Australia.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce was awaiting the plane’s arrival at Sydney Airport on Tuesday, declaring it a “very emotional” moment.

“We always knew we wanted to bring back the A380, they’re halfway through their lives but there was a debate about how long they’d be on the ground and literally six months ago we didn’t think they’d be back until the end of 2023 at the earliest,” said Mr Joyce.

“That’s how much things have moved in Australia, how much the vaccine rollout has helped and how much confidence that’s given us to get these aircraft back.”

From L-R, First Officer Barry Doe, Second Officer Fiona Diamond, First Officer David Thiess and Captain Paul Grant who crewed the first Qantas A380 to operate into Australia in 593-days.

Along with the rest of the A380 fleet, the Hudson Fysh spent the better part of the last two-years in the California desert where rattlesnakes regularly took up residence in the wheel wells.

There was not much chance of any “snakes on a plane” incidents on Tuesday, after spending the last 8-weeks in Dresden, undergoing a landing gear update.

Qantas chief pilot Captain Richard Tobiano said the early return of the aircraft was “symbolic of how quickly demand for international travel has bounced back”.

“This aircraft will play a key role in preparing our crew to return to A380 flying operations in the New Year,” Captain Tobiano said.

“Many of our crew found other jobs during the pandemic doing everything from working in vaccination hubs and hospital wards to driving buses and tractors, and painting houses.”

In addition to crew training, the Hudson Fysh could be used on some domestic routes over Christmas, boosting capacity with its 483-seats.

Next year, a second A380 would arrive to operate Sydney-Los Angeles flights from the end of March, with three more due to land by mid-year for Sydney-London services from July.

Mr Joyce said he remained hopeful Australia’s border reopening would extend to international visitors by the end of the year, as indicated by the Prime Minister at the start of the month.

“We should open up to tourists, we should open up to other visa holders, there’s a need for immigrant workers to come in, there’s a lot of industries that are suffering as a consequence of that, and hopefully all that can occur by Christmas,” said Mr Joyce.

Australian and International Pilots Association president Murray Butt, said the aircraft’s return provided “a lift” for A380 pilots, most of whom had not flown at all since March 2020.

Captain Butt said there would be plenty of time for retraining before the first passenger flights, but it was the on-ground requirements causing pilots the most stress.

“People are still coming to terms with the transition from whatever they were doing secondary workwise, the financial positions they’re in and getting ready to tackle the study and preparations that are needed to get back to work,” he said.

“There is some anxiety about the quarantine requirements and what will be expected of people when they do go back. It is a constantly changing landscape.”