By Steve Creedy
QANTAS expects its trans-Pacific A380 program to gradually return to normal after it resumes flights to Los Angeles on Sunday.
The airline grounded the fleet in early November after a Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine on one of its aircraft exploded after takeoff from Singapore.
It resumed flights to London later that month but decided against flying the big planes across the Pacific because of payload and operational restrictions.
That changed yesterday after the Civil Aviation Safety Authority endorsed Qantas plans for operating the engines at the airline’s maximum setting of 72,000lb.
The endorsement was good news for both companies but leaves unresolved the question of compensation to Qantas for the damage to its aircraft, grounding of its fleet, loss of earnings and issues such as brand damage.
Talks are understood to have resumed with Rolls Royce and Qantas continues to say it would prefer a commercial settlement. However, it has launched Federal Court proceedings that will allow it to take legal action if talks fail.
In addition to the damaged plane, Qantas has five operational A380s and a sixth on the ground awaiting an engine change. Another new aircraft is due to arrive next week with a second delivery soon after.
The airline announced yesterday that it would continue the gradual reintroduction of A380s to its network, with 14 A380 services a week operating for the remainder of this month, including four to the US.
This would increase next month to six weekly Sydney-LA services and one from Melbourne, growing to daily Sydney and four weekly Melbourne services by April.
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said Qantas had only resumed flying when all parties were confident it was safe do so.
“In close consultation with Rolls-Royce, we are now confident that we can begin flying the A380 to and from Los Angeles without any conditions on the use of maximum engine thrust,” he said.
European regulators eased inspection requirements for the Trent 900 after investigators traced the explosion to an oil tube manufacturing problem, also found in three other engines during a fleet-wide check.
Rolls said yesterday the Trent 900 fleet had now returned to normal operation. “All engine thrust restrictions have now been removed in agreement with Airbus, our airline customers and the regulators,” it said.
Source: www.theaustralian.com.au
