Qantas Set to Deploy Airbus A380 Superjumbo to Johannesburg

With effect from 30 September, 2024, Qantas will begin to deploy the Airbus A380 superjumbo on its service between Sydney, Australia and Johannesburg, South Africa, replacing the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner currently on the route.

The switch in operating aircraft, which will double the capacity on the route, is coming three months later than originally planned due to supply chain issues, which affected the superjumbo's return to service following long storage.

The aircraft upgrade will see Qantas massively increasing the number of available seats on the route from 236 on the current Boeing 787-9 to 485 on the A380 daily, adding 130,000 extra seats between Australia and Africa annually.

The Airbus A380 on the route has a four-class configuration, including 14 first-class suites, 70 business-class seats, 60 premium economy seats, and 341 economy-class seats. The aircraft also features an onboard lounge for premium-class passengers.

The A380 flights will operate up to 6 times a week in each direction. Flight QF63 departs Sydney at 9:30am, and arrives Johannesburg at 4:10pm. Flight QF64 departs Johannesburg at 6:40pm, arriving Sydney at 2:35pm the following day. All times are local.

Qantas is currently the only airline offering scheduled nonstop flights between Sydney and Johannesburg. South African Airways operates scheduled nonstop services between Johannesburg and Perth, another destination in Australia.