Qantas's inaugural A380 flight from Johannesburg to Sydney departed OR Tambo yesterday, September 30, marking the doubling of capacity on the route.
The A380 accommodates 485 passengers and has reintroduced first class and doubled the number of premium economy seats for the South Africa-Australia market.
The superjumbo will fly five times a week, providing an additional 130 000 seats annually.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, flight QF63 departs Sydney at 09h30 and arrives in Johannesburg at 14h45.
On the same days, the return flight QF64 departs Johannesburg at 18h40 and arrives in Sydney at 14h35 the following day.
Qantas inks partnership with Airlink
The significant increase in capacity comes as Qantas announced a new codeshare partnership with Airlink, expanding the Australian carrier’s domestic access in South Africa.
Qantas will add the QF code on Airlink’s domestic network, enabling seamless connectivity between Qantas's flights to Johannesburg and Airlink's nine South African destinations.
The carrier plans to add Airlink's regional destinations over the coming months, pending regulatory approval.