Qantas Deploys A380 on Africa Route

Australia’s national carrier Qantas has flown the superjumbo to Johannesburg for the first time, which is the airline’s only destination in Africa. Qantas will operate the Airbus A380 across the Indian Ocean six times per week from September 30.

The aircraft seats up to 485 passengers across four classes, including first, business, premium economy, and economy. That said, the A380 replaces the Boeing 787-9 which Qantas has used to serve the route since March 2021.

Flight time from Sydney to Johannesburg is 14 hours and 40 minutes while Johannesburg to Sydney comes in at 11 hours and 55 minutes. This Qantas service is actually the world’s only A380 flight that regularly crosses the southern Indian Ocean.

Adding Capacity to Africa

The deployment of the Airbus A380 on this route adds a significant number of seats between Sydney and Johannesburg. In fact, it almost doubles capacity on the route, adding an extra 130,000 seats between Australia and Africa every year.

“We are seeing strong demand for our Johannesburg services and, by upgrading to the Superjumbo, we will nearly double capacity during peak periods, adding over 130,000 seats per year between the continents,” said Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace in a news release.

That said, Qantas is one of a couple of airlines operating flights to Johannesburg with the Airbus A380. Emirates and British Airways also fly Airbus A380s to the South African city.

Qantas’ A380 Aircraft

Qantas currently has eight Airbus A380s in active service, out of a total of 10. Its other two A380s are still in storage but are expected to return to service within the next 18 months. In addition to its Johannesburg services, Qantas operates the superjumbo aircraft to destinations including Los Angeles, London, and Singapore..

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Lorne Philipot

Lorne is a South Africa-based aviation journalist. He was captivated and fascinated by flying from the day he took his first airline flight. With a passion for aviation in his blood, he has flown to destinations in all corners of the globe. Lorne has traveled extensively and lived in various countries. Drawing on his travels and passion for aviation, Lorne enjoys writing about airlines, routes, networks, and new developments.

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