Qantas A380s return to the skies

Qantas returned two of its six Airbus A380s to service on the Sydney to London route after some engine changes. The airline is limiting take-off thrust to 70,000 lb. instead of the 72,000 lb. for which the engine is certified.

The return to service of VH-OQF and VH-OQE comes a week ahead of the release of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau’s preliminary report on the uncontained failure of the No. 2 Rolls-Royce Trent 972 engine on Nov. 4 after take-off from Singapore.

Last week, EASA issued a new Emergency Airworthiness Directive on the Trent 900 series engine, which supersedes the Nov. 11 AD that retains the inspection of the air buffer cavity but also focuses on "the oil service tubes within the high pressure and intermediary pressure structure."
Qantas will not return the A380s to transpacific flights for the time being, as take-offs from Los Angeles sometimes require maximum thrust. The airline is due to receive three more A380s before Dec. 31 and all are fitted with upgraded engines.

(Geoffrey Thomas - ATWOnline News)