The first Qantas A380 aircraft made its way back to Australia on November 9, 2021.
Flight QF6023 departed Dresden Klotzsche Airport (DRS) on November 8, 2021 at 10:21 AM local time, and at Sydney Kingsfordsmith International Airport (SYD) at 15:10 PM local time.
The aircraft, named Hudson Fysh after one of Qantas’ founders (registration VH-OQB), has been in storage in Los Angeles since March 27, 2020, and was flown to Dresden in August 2021 for scheduled maintenance for a new landing gear.
Hudson Fysh will undergo additional maintenance checks in Australia before returning to service in the coming weeks as part of crew training.
The early return of the airline’s A380 comes as Qantas prepares for the first two of the superjumbos to return to service in April 2022 operating to Los Angeles and three to operate flights to London from November 2022.
Qantas said in a press statement that it is now working to further accelerate the return of the A380s, with superjumbo flights to London brought forward to July 2022. A sixth aircraft will arrive before the end of calendar year 2022, with the remaining four A380s expected to return to service by early 2024.
“The A380 is a fantastic aircraft and we are very excited to welcome it home today. The early return is symbolic of how quickly demand for international travel has bounced back and this aircraft will play a key role in preparing our crew to return to A380 flying operations in the new year,” Qantas Chief Pilot Captain Richard Tobiano said in the press statement.
“Over the next few months, pilots will undergo an extensive retraining period including simulator sessions, training flights and classroom courses to prepare for take-off.”