VH-OQA to return to Service in March

[Trevor Sinclair]

I hope I'm not doubling up on this thread, I've searched "VH-OQA" and found nothing current in this forum. Did you see this article by Brian Schofield in Aviation Week?

Qantas says the Airbus A380 that was badly damaged following an uncontained engine failure in November 2010, VH-OQA, is finally due to return to service in March.
Repair work on the A380 “is progressing well,” a Qantas spokesman tells Aviation Week. Repairs began in May 2011 and are expected to cost AU$135 million ($139.75 million).
In early 2011, Qantas said the aircraft would fly again by the end of that year. However, for the past six months, the airline has signaled that a return to service early this year was more likely.
VH-OQA was forced to make an emergency landing in Singapore due to an uncontained engine failure in one of its Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, with flying debris causing significant structural damage to the aircraft. This incident led Qantas to ground its A380 fleet while inspections were conducted. The engine failure was eventually traced to a Rolls-Royce manufacturing fault.
Despite early speculation that VH-OQA would be written off, the decision was made to repair it. The cost is covered by insurance. The repairs are being carried out at an SIA Engineering Co. (SIAEC) facility in Singapore.
Most of the work is being done by a team of up to 40 Airbus employees, although staff from Qantas Engineering and SIAEC also are supporting the effort.
The aircraft required structural wing repairs and the full replacement of the other systems affected, including pneumatic, electrical and hydraulic systems.
All of the original engines on VH-OQA have been removed and replaced with new engines supplied by Rolls-Royce.
According to Qantas, the repair work will be certified by Airbus, and the relevant airworthiness authorities are receiving regular briefings and are auditing the work. Airbus and Qantas will carry out flight testing.
While the repairs to VH-OQA are covered by insurance, Qantas last year negotiated an AU$95 million settlement from Rolls-Royce to compensate for the A380 fleet grounding.

[Shayne G]

VH-OQA is planned to return home at the 'end of April' now..


Source

[Steve S... 2]

Solution is very simple...

QF can give the most unattractive aeroplane back, and purchase 777's & 747-8's.

[Laurent Sanhard]

tonight's QF31 is running over 1 hr late VH-OQB still on the ground @ YSSY , got a feeling the QF32 inbound aircraft will operate this flight

[Brett Williamson]

Originally Posted by Steve S... 2

Solution is very simple...

QF can give the most unattractive aeroplane back, and purchase 777's & 747-8's.

It's a bit late for that but it would be nice!

[Jim M]

Never too late!! I agree with you both and bring it on,I say .

Cheers
Jim

[Tony G]

Originally Posted by Steve S... 2

Solution is very simple...

QF can give the most unattractive aeroplane back, and purchase 777's & 747-8's.

Agreed, it is a bit late but it would have been a wise choice. Especially the 777s with Australias location. They would open so many more oppotunities for qantas. They could be used on runs such as Dallas, Johannesburg etc. Oh well it is what it is.

[David Heath]

We've been over this numerous times. :-) The only 777 that makes sense for QF is the future 777-X and the potential for an economic non-stop to LHR. The A380/787 strategy made more sense had it not been for the delays.

Oh and the 747-8i makes no sense sadly. So wonderful, yet too late. If an A380 had dropped out of the sky, may have been a different story. But yes lots of ??? around the 380 still given the build issues/reliability etc.

[Matt_L]

My prediction-

they will not get the 777 or 748.

Simple as that. Many seem to forget QF were the launch customer for the 777 in the 90s and then as suddenly as that happened, became one of the only major international carriers without any orders for the plane. Why this happened, I cannot quite understand, maybe someone could expand on that?

[Ash W]

Not quite right Matt. Qantas were part of a group of customers who helped guide Boeing in the development of the 777, but never held any orders for it, the only member of that group that didn't order.