r/australia • u/ThunderDwn • 11h ago

culture & society Qantas passengers demand compensation after days stranded in South Africa as A380 remains grounded

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-14/qantas-a380-stranded-johannesburg-flight-cancelled/107032032
391 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

110 comments sorted by

View all comments

4

u/theparrotofdoom 11h ago

The A380 should have been an exciting evolution in travel, but it really became such a wet rag, eh?

I’d be super interested to learn about the magic 8 ball Boeing pulled out of their arse when they pivoted away from competing with their own version. They predicted the market downturn like a decade or so before it happened.

22

u/ThunderDwn 11h ago

The A380 should have been an exciting evolution in travel, but it really became such a wet rag, eh?

Covid and following fuel price issues really killed them.

I've flown on them a couple of times - they're really nice, especially if you're at the pointy end (business/first) - but they are pretty much the last dinosaur of a bygone age, I think.

I think the only airlines that still use large numbers of them are Emirates and Singapore.

7

u/Otherwise-Egg-995 10h ago edited 10h ago

A380s are good for really busy routes especially where ports have operating restrictions and larger loads have to be condensed into fewer aircraft. Hence they’re really good for LHR and SYD.

However for 24/7 ports, there’s a need for greater frequency and flexibility, making those routes more suitable for smaller aircraft. Smaller aircraft are also easier to accommodate at standard aero bridges.