Qantas hopes to upgrade its flights between Sydney and Tokyo to its flagship Airbus A380 next year as the airline winds back its ageing Boeing 747 fleet.
The jumbo-to-superjumbo swap could see a full first class service reintroduced on the premium route, as well as offer the superior comfort of the airline's new Business Suites on the 9½ flight once the A380s receive their mid-life refresh from later this year.
Although the second tranche of Boeing 787s – due for delivery from late 2019 through to 2020 – is nominally intended to replace the Boeing 747s, the popularity of Sydney-Tokyo ideally calls for a bigger jet than the Dreamliner.
But there's a catch, according to Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce: Tokyo's Haneda Airport doesn’t allow more than one Airbus A380 to be on the ground at a time, and the Red Roo's schedule sees the Sydney-Tokyo-Sydney aircraft parked at Haneda all day between its 5.15am arrival and 10pm departure.
“We’d like to go to an A380 (on Sydney-Tokyo), and use the aircraft there,” Joyce remarked on the sidelines of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Annual General Meeting in Seoul, but the aircraft serving the Sydney-Tokyo route “stays in Tokyo the whole day and then leaves at night, which means no other A380s can be on the ground when it’s there” under the airport’s current policy.
"We need that (policy) changed, and we’re working to figure out how we’d do that."
If negotiations around Haneda Airport’s A380 cap prove unsuccessful, Joyce told Executive Traveller that Qantas will instead look at flying Boeing 787s between Sydney and Tokyo, and potentially twice daily, subject to slot constraints and traffic rights into Haneda.
“We’re currently talking about that – both governments (Australian and Japanese) are talking about that – so it may be a frequency solution if we can’t get an aircraft solution,” Joyce said.
While Qantas’ flights from Melbourne and Brisbane to Tokyo serve the distant Narita Airport, its Sydney flights use Haneda, which is located much closer to the Tokyo city centre and offers a quicker commute for business and leisure travellers alike when heading into town or beginning the journey home.
Read: Tokyo's Haneda and Narita airports – a business traveller's guide
Chris Chamberlin is attending the IATA AGM in Seoul as a guest of IATA.
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
08 Jul 2016
Total posts 3
New J seats long overdue for TYO considering both NH/JL provide better products
02 Nov 2017
Total posts 34
An A380 on this route would make sense.
02 Nov 2017
Total posts 34
Edit: Scratch that. The reason you don't see A380s at HND is the airport requires greater aircraft separation for the A380. Combine with HND's congestion, and the airport really isn't too keen to introduce the A380 anytime soon.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 May 2014
Total posts 35
There's one catch though: QF arrives early in the morning (when there's really not many flights) and depart after 10 (although a fair bit of arrivals, but nowhere as many as during the daytime)
08 Feb 2018
Total posts 165
Couldn't they co-ordinate with JAL so QF flies up overnight and back during the day, and JL flys down overnight and up during the day? That way they save an A380 sitting on the ground all day and offer flexibility for travel both ways for those who really need it.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1031
They can't without something changing with the regulations.
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1429
It seems sitting on the ground all day is the sticking
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Apr 2012
Total posts 319
Pity QF have the aircraft sitting on the ground. With almost 17 hours ground time... maybe they could utilize the aircraft on some other route... ie, Tokyo - Taipei or HK return?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Nov 2018
Total posts 103
I still cant get over how much time Qantas “parks” its A380 fleet. Either in London, LAX and Aus, surely they don’t need that much down time for maintenance.
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1429
This all about offering flights at times people want to travel to ensure connections and avoiding Sydney curfews. They tend to spend much less time hanging around in Australia. They tend to arrive in the morning and head off soon after.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1374
It's a big aircraft. Loses a lot of money if it flies half full or empty - so better to fly it at times people want.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Mar 2013
Total posts 132
5th freedom to Seoul would be great!
02 Mar 2013
Total posts 32
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 Nov 2015
Total posts 38
Dont forget that QF25 used to go into Narita and sit on the ground there. Qantas then, a few years ago now, moved to Haneda with the 74’s. Maybe go back to NRT ?
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1031
QF21/22 were the SYD-NRT numbers, and they are still used on an adhoc seasonal basis.
American Airlines - AAdvantage
02 Jun 2019
Total posts 20
Showing a hole in Qantas fleet plans, no plane between a 787 and and A3800. 777-300ER would do nicely here.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Nov 2018
Total posts 103
Id much prefer frequency over a single A380, a day and night flight in each direction would suit so many passengers better.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1031
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
08 Mar 2017
Total posts 14
I wonder how many people are actually travelling Melbourne to Osaka and are forced to go through Sydney or Tokyo. Each time I do the trip there seems to be many other fellow travellers.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Jan 2019
Total posts 7
One would think as a 'wildcard' option that Qantas could establish a fifth-freedom route between HND and SIN. This would allow the A380 to used on heavier routes between SIN and AUS if need be, whilst having a shuttle service between Tokyo and Singapore which in itself is a busy route.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
17 May 2011
Total posts 19
Vote 2 for the SYD-SIN-HND-SIN-SYD route
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1031
JAL has 3 daily flights from Tokyo to Singapore, 2 HND 1 NRT. QF codeshares on all 3. They have no reason to operate their own metal between TYO and SIN.
12 Apr 2017
Total posts 2
Qantas currently doesn’t served South Korea. Could they do HND-ICN shuttle codeshare with JAL to get it off the ground? I suppose that is a frequency issue with slots at HND though ....
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
06 Sep 2012
Total posts 231
HND-ICN is incredibly competitive. QF will run at a loss with the A380 even if it is at full capacity, because no one is going to spend hundreds of dollars for an hour flight ticket.
13 Sep 2013
Total posts 116
There are only 3 flights a day on the HND-ICN route. Almost all run HND-GMP. But I can't imagine GMP hosting any A380 flights.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1031
There are 35+ flights/day between Tokyo (HND and NRT) and Seoul (ICN and GMP) across 11 airlines. QF isn't going to jump into that, with a A380 no less.
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1031
12 Dec 2012
Total posts 1031
JAL doesn't need a codeshare with a QF 5th freedom. They already have their own flights to Korea and codeshare on KE flights.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Apr 2013
Total posts 387
If an A380 gets put on here could that mean Sydney Dallas could change to 787?
07 Dec 2016
Total posts 37
Excuse me Chris, but Qantas is already doing Sydney-Haneda A380 flights, in a rather haphazard way. How is this common knowledge? I live in the Northern Beaches of Cairns and TWICE this year, we have had a Qantas A380 diverted from the Haneda Sydney route to Cairns. All other international flights to Cairns (e.g. Cathay Pacific, Southern China etc) are 2 engines, so when a 4 engine A380 monster flies past your balcony on full Final it is noticeable, not least because the diversions are too close! We are 25 metres from the beach and polite aircraft stay on the NW to SE flight path which is about 750 metres offshore. Have requested an explanation for these diversions from QF.
04 May 2015
Total posts 261
747s and A380s are two different planes, both just have four engines.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 Nov 2015
Total posts 38
I am always amazed at the depth of industry knowledge this sties contributors have.
Hi Guest, join in the discussion on Qantas eyes Airbus A380 upgrade for Sydney-Tokyo