en.Wedoany.com Reported - Qatar Airways has updated its winter flight schedule, with its Airbus A380 no longer operating the Doha (DOH) to Guangzhou (CAN) route. The airline removed the previously planned A380 Guangzhou flights, which were set to resume on October 25, from its latest schedule submitted to aviation data platform Cirium Diio.

Guangzhou and the Pearl River Delta region, with rapid economic growth and a large population, are important passenger source markets for airlines. Qatar Airways has operated passenger flights to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport since 2008, deploying the A380 on the route since 2016 until it was grounded in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline had originally planned to operate the 517-seat double-decker aircraft daily on this route starting October 25, the beginning of the Northern Hemisphere winter/spring season.

Due to the impact of the Iran war, all eight of Qatar Airways' A380s were grounded from mid-April to mid-June 2026, with half returning to service afterward. The latest winter flight schedule (October 25, 2026 to March 27, 2027) shows only three A380 routes retained: Doha to Bangkok (BKK, initially daily, increasing to twice daily from December 1), Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG, daily), and London Heathrow Airport (LHR, daily). The aircraft type has been removed from flights to Guangzhou (previously daily), Singapore Changi Airport (SIN, daily), and Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD, daily). It remains unclear whether these routes will see the A380 again, or whether Qatar Airways will continue operating only four A380s or bring other aircraft stored in Doha back into service. There were reports in late 2025 that half of the A380 fleet might be retired. The airline has been contacted for comment on this matter.

Following the adjustment on the Guangzhou route, it will be served by the 412-seat Boeing 777-300ER, which has no first-class cabin and only 6% premium seats, compared to 11% on the A380. China Southern Airlines, representing its partner, operates Doha to Guangzhou flights using 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft; Emirates still operates the Dubai (DXB) to Guangzhou route with the A787; Etihad Airways plans to join the route next year but may be at a disadvantage due to its smaller network in Africa.

Booking data analysis shows that in the 12 months ending April 2026 (when the A380 was still operating the Guangzhou route), over 240,000 passengers traveling to and from Guangzhou connected to other Qatar Airways flights in Doha. Nearly 60% of passengers had destinations or origins in Africa. Guangzhou is the primary city for Africans in China, and a large number of Chinese citizens also travel to the African continent via Guangzhou. The highest number of passengers traveled from Guangzhou via Doha to Algiers, followed by other popular destinations in order: Entebbe, Lagos, São Paulo, Amman, Casablanca, Istanbul, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, and Johannesburg.

The latest schedule shows 90 A380 flights departing from Doha in November, a 54% decrease from 194 flights in the same month last year. Further adjustments are expected in the near future.