Qantas deploys Airbus A380 for Melbourne-Sydney route

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Due to anticipated severe weather conditions in the Sydney area this evening, Airservices Australia has imposed restrictions on the number of flights arriving and departing from Sydney, affecting all carriers and causing numerous cancellations and delays.

To minimize disruptions, Qantas will deploy an Airbus A380 from Melbourne to Sydney, transporting 485 passengers. This move effectively consolidates nearly three Boeing 737 flights, which are the usual aircraft for this route.

These passengers were originally booked on three different flights departing after 4pm, making it unlikely that they were heading to Sydney for the Taylor Swift concert tonight. Additionally, a fourth flight has been cancelled, but those passengers have been accommodated on other Qantas flights today.

The A380 used today is an extra aircraft kept on standby to enhance the reliability of Qantas’s service. Though typically reserved for international routes to destinations such as London and LA, the extraordinary demand for flights into Sydney today has warranted its use domestically.

Qantas’s operational teams, spanning both domestic and international networks, have swiftly devised a solution to ensure passengers can still reach Sydney today, despite the severe weather forecast.

Flight QF7168 is set to depart from Terminal 2 at Melbourne International Airport at 5:00pm and is expected to land at Sydney International Airport at 6:40pm.

All affected customers have been notified and informed of their new flight arrangements.

For those traveling to Sydney today from other locations, there’s an option to switch to an earlier flight if seats are available. Customers can make this change through the Qantas website or the Qantas app.

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