First Qantas Upgraded A380 Aircraft takes off

Qantas welcomed the first passengers onto the first of twelve newly upgraded A380s today, delivering a new level of comfort for all travellers. The first flight which will operate as QF2 from London to Sydney via Singapore will arrive in Australia on Wednesday the 2nd of October.

The multimillion-dollar upgrade includes more seating across the Business and Premium Economy cabins both now on the upper deck, with the redesigned onboard lounge and a refresh of the aircraft’s First and Economy seating. Qantas has said that the upgrade would ensure the A380 status as one of the most popular aircraft with customers. The upgraded capacity of the aircrafts will be 14 First Suites (unchanged), 70 Business Suites (up by 6), 60 Premium Economy seats (up by 25) and 341 Economy seats (down by 30), for a total 485 passengers.

Premium seating has been increased by 27% which has come directly from the increase in demand on Qantas long-haul routes. The 14 First Class Suites have also been updated with new contoured cushioning, higher seat finishes and a larger, higher resolution entertainment screen.

The introduction of the Qantas Business Suite, replacing the previous Skybeds, in a 1-2-1 configuration that now gives all passengers direct aisle access.

The new Premium Economy seats that were first debuted on the Qantas Dreamliner have also been installed with a huge 60 premium economy seats available. 

The onboard lounge has been redesigned to accommodate both First and Business Class passengers and includes lounges style seating for 10 passengers.

The economy cabin has been updated with a new colour palette and improved inflight entertainment.

By the end of 2019, a further 2 A380s are expected to undergo refurbishment, and as part of the upgrade, Qantas will also install the next-generation seating across its entire long-haul fleet of A380s, A330s and 787s. Qantas expects to complete the refurbishment of the remaining 11 aircraft by the end of 2020.