It seems Qatar Airways is needing to bump up capacity to Perth, Austraila, with the airline reintroducing the Airbus A380 on the route in December.
Qatar Airways Airbus A380 landing at London Heathrow in July 2022. Image, Economy Class and Beyond.
Currently, the route utilises a Boeing 777-300ER. The Airbus A380 will be reintroduced on the 6th of December 2022. The planned operation is as follows:
Between 6th to 20th December
| Flight No | From | To | Operation | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
| QR900 | Doha | Perth | Daily | 03:15 | 19:15 | 11:00 |
| QR901 | Perth | Doha | Daily | 21:50 | 04:20+1 | 11:30 |
Winter 2022 (effective 21st December)
| Flight No | From | To | Operation | Departure | Arrival | Duration |
| QR900 | Doha | Perth | Daily | 02:35 | 18:35 | 11:00 |
| QR901 | Perth | Doha | Daily | 22:55 | 05:25+ | 11:30 |
Qatar Airways Airbus A380 features a three-class configuration of seating over two decks with a dedicated onboard premium lounge. The aircraft will accommodate an additional 163 passengers daily (compared to the 777-300ER) adding up to 517 seats spread across the three cabins: eight First Class seats, 48 Business Class seats and 461 Economy Class seats.
The airline attributes this route change due to the strategic partnership between Qatar Airways and Virgin Australia. This expanded codeshare significantly expands the networks, lounges and loyalty programs of both airlines, bringing substantial benefits and new destinations to travellers.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Mr Akbar Al Baker said:
“We want to demonstrate our commitment to Australia by continuing the work we did during the pandemic to keep Australians connected. It is imperative for Australian travellers to feel welcome in our city whether they are transiting or visiting Doha. During the much anticipated FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, all flights to and from Perth will be scheduled taking into consideration football match timings so that all fans can enjoy the biggest event of the year.”
The A380 delivers capacity – like it or not
I’m going to skip through the rest of the bumf in the Qatar Airways Press Release, as it is interesting to see that an airline that attempted to wash its hand of its A380 fleet is turning further into it, as its growth orders of Airbus A350 aircraft have been progressively cancelled, and other new aircraft are still far in the future.
This move will release a 777-300ER onto other routes where it is needed, whilst utilising the A380 to deliver the capacity the new codeshare is demanding.
As Qatar Airways continues to rebalance its fleet and its operation, it may find itself utilising the A380s to support its operation to cover groundings, as well as to supply capacity to constrained routes.
And adding over 1,1,41 seats a week (compared to the 777-300ER), is a number that can’t be ignored easily.
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