en.Wedoany.com Reported - Qantas is considering ordering Airbus A350s or Boeing 787 Dreamliners to phase out its existing Airbus A380 fleet by the early 2030s. The Australian flag carrier and oneworld member once had 12 Airbus A380s, of which 2 have been retired. According to ch-aviation data, the average age of the remaining 10 double-deck wide-body four-engine jets has reached 16.7 years.
Reuters learned from industry insiders that the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 are seen as the strongest contenders to replace the A380. It is rumored that Qantas is in discussions with Airbus and Boeing regarding a potential order for around 20 A350 or 787 wide-body twin-engine jets, to evaluate options before the A380 begins retirement in fiscal year 2032. Although both models are smaller than the A380, they are considered the future of long-haul flights. Executive Traveller noted that Qantas had previously planned to replace its 10 A380s with A350s starting around fiscal year 2032, but the inclusion of the Boeing 787 complicates the replacement plan. A Qantas spokesperson stated that there are no updates or orders to announce, but the airline regularly communicates with aircraft manufacturers for ongoing fleet planning.
According to the latest fleet data from ch-aviation, Qantas has ordered 24 Airbus A350 series aircraft, all of which are the stretched-fuselage A350-1000 variant. Among them, 12 are ultra-long-range A350-1000ULR models, designated for "Project Sunrise" flights from Europe and the U.S. East Coast directly to Sydney and Melbourne. The first special aircraft from this order recently completed its maiden test flight in Toulouse. The remaining 12 are standard A350-1000s, which will replace the existing Airbus A330 series wide-body twin-engine jets alongside the Boeing 787.
According to data from aviation analytics company Cirium, Qantas currently operates the Airbus A380 only on a few routes with sufficient premium demand. The most frequently served route is Sydney (SYD) to Singapore (SIN), with 37 flights in June 2025, of which 30 continue to London Heathrow Airport (LHR). Additionally, Qantas uses the A380 daily from Sydney to Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Los Angeles (LAX), as well as from Sydney to Johannesburg (four times weekly) and Melbourne (MEL) to Los Angeles (twice weekly). Regardless of which model replaces the A380, premium cabins will be a key configuration.
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