Qantas launches A380 service as passenger demand drops - Heathrow Airport News

Airport news for Heathrow on 23/10/2008.

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The Australian national carrier’s inaugural service on the Airbus A380 left from Melbourne Airport this week on route to Los Angeles, making Qantas the first airline from Australia to operate a flight on the new aircraft.

The second of the A380 services will be launched later this week, with a flight from Sydney to Los Angeles.

In remarks he made at the inauguration of the superjumbo service, Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon said made note of the fact that the airline had seen a recent decline in passenger traffic.

“There is a lessening in demand in all classes, Qantas has held up better than most airlines,” he said.

Dixon added that Airbus will deliver an additional three A380s by the end of this year, and that the rest of its 20 on order were scheduled to be delivered through the end of 2013. “By the end of 2009, when our eighth aircraft has been delivered, Qantas will offer daily A380 services to Los Angeles from Melbourne.”

In January, Qantas will launch A380 service to London, via Singapore.

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