Traffic #400 | Qantas deliveries and Alliance Fokkers

​The plane was also said to have undergone an extensive return-to-service overhaul in Abu Dhabi, which Qantas described as the largest maintenance check in its 105-year history.

“Bringing an A380 back into service after nearly six years in storage is no small feat,” said Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace. “Teams of engineers around the globe came together to complete more than 100,000 hours of work to prepare the aircraft for flying again, from extensive checks to heavy maintenance, landing gear replacement, a full cabin refresh and assessment flying, with parts shipped by land, sea and sky.”

​The return was heralded by Qantas execs and enthusiasts alike – for the A380 is both a frequent-flyer-fan favourite (try saying that 3 times fast) and the airline’s flagship carrier. With the pandemic resulting in the ultimate retirement of two of the airline’s 12 A380s, the return of Paul McGuinness – named after one of the Qantas founders – was certainly worth the fanfare. However, the excitement was quickly overshadowed by concern.

​Unfortunately, VH-OQC’s first passenger flight upon its return was far from smooth. The plane took off from Sydney on 7 December 2025, operating flight QF11 to Los Angeles International (LAX). Passengers aboard the aircraft described power outages that impacted cabin lights, in-flight entertainment access, and toilet usage, and more dramatically, the aircraft reportedly sustained damage, including the partial separation of a wing slat, during its descent into LAX. At the time, Qantas reiterated that the aircraft had landed safely and that engineers were working to replace the damaged slat and restore the internal power units. Passengers who were inconvenienced by the power outages were offered compensation. The aircraft remained stood down as a spare throughout the Christmas period and was again thoroughly checked over.

​On 16 January 2026, VH-OQC was ferried back to Sydney and once again cleared for a return to regular passenger service. Since mid-February, the plane has been scheduled for regular operations between Sydney–LAX and Melbourne–LAX, with no further incidents.

Second Qantas A350-1000 taking shape

Qantas has allowed us a peek behind hangar doors, revealing that its second Project Sunrise Airbus A350-1000ULR jet has now entered the final assembly line in Toulouse. This stage of the journey is marked by the fact that all fuselage sections, wings and the tail have now been joined together, with initial paintwork also completed.

​We reported in our last issue that the first Project Sunrise jet had also just entered the final assembly line at Airbus’ main factory in Toulouse. The first plane, still registered under its temporary French testing registration F-WZNK, continues to undergo extensive ground testing before it takes to the skies for the first time in the coming months. Once operational, these specially-modified ultra-long-haul planes will perform the world’s longest commercial flights.

​Project Sunrise flights will look to link Australia’s populous east coast cities to some of the world’s biggest (and farthest) destinations, including London, Paris and New York, with modified cabins to promote movement, wellness and comfort. The inaugural route is set to be a mammoth 22-hour journey from Sydney to New York. While originally slated for takeoff in 2025, delivery delays have pushed the inaugural flight into 2027. If you’re interested, take a look at our last edition for a further deep-dive into what makes the Qantas-exclusive A350-1000ULR so special!

Deliveries, deliveries, deliveries

​While we’re on the topic of “second significant aircraft”, Virgin Australia’s second Embraer E190-E2, registered VH-E2B, made its journey from San Jose, Brazil, to Perth in December. It’s the second of eight E-Jets ordered by Virgin’s Perth-based regional offshoot Virgin Australia Regional Airlines, intended as a replacement for its aged Fokker fleet. The aircraft touched down in Perth just in time for Christmas, on 20 December 2025, after stopovers in Barbados, Miami, Tucson, Hawaii, Samoa, and Cairns – talk about the scenic route!

Though Alliance Airlines’ latest E-190, VH-A2N, took a very similar route at a very similar time, taking off from San Jose on 14 December 2025 and landing in Rockhampton five days later, after fuel stops in San Diego, Oakland, Hawaii, the Marshall Islands, and Brisbane. This plane has been painted in a special green-and-gold colour scheme to honour 1960s Formula One driver and executive Sir Jack Brabham.

Meanwhile, the fourth Qantas A321XLR, VH-OGD, has hit the register and then the tarmac in Sydney. VH-OGD was ferried from Airbus’ Hamburg plant to Brisbane on 21 February 2026, via a stopover in Bangkok. The plane has been dubbed “Bibbulmun Track”, named after an iconic 1,000km hiking trail that spans from Kalamunda, east of Perth, to Albany. It’s the fourth delivery in an order of 48 next-generation A321 extra-long-range planes, which each bear the name of a significant Australian road, river, landscape or trail. The first two delivered planes, VH-OGA and VH-OGB, have been seen in regular passenger service rotation since September 2025.

Alliance Fokkers batter balance sheet

​Alliance Airlines’ ageing Fokker fleet has upset the company’s balance sheet, as it posted a $100 million loss in the first half of the 2026 financial year. The Fokker fleet was a major contributor to this figure, after the airline acknowledged a $160 million non-cash impairment against the carrying value of its Fokker F70 and F100 aircraft, including their engines, spare parts and related inventory.

​At the same time, the airline’s chairperson, James Jackson, has revealed that Alliance will look to re-evaluate its long-standing wet-lease agreement with Qantas – a once highly profitable endeavour – due to “cost inflation”. Jackson said that the contract, which has ballooned from 14 aircraft to over 30, was agreed to during COVID-19, when market conditions for aircraft, engines, maintenance and staffing were more favourable. He added that the current contract’s “repricing mechanisms” are insufficient to account for the hikes in wages, operating expenses, and maintenance costs that Alliance and the market as a whole have seen over the last six years. “This has resulted in significant margin erosion since the contract was originally executed,” he said.