Qantas restores Sydney–Dallas A380 service, one of the longest routes worldwide

Qantas’ superjumbo Airbus A380 has returned to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) for the first time in five years, marking the resumption of one of the longest nonstop passenger routes in the world between Sydney and Dallas. 

In a statement, DFW airport officials said it views this milestone as more than just a route reopening, describing it as the “world’s second longest nonstop A380 route by distance and time”.  

“Today was a special moment as our Qantas A380 touched down at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) for the first time since 2020,” Ash Howell, Executive Vice President at Qantas, said in a statement. “Its return marks another important milestone in the growth of our international network and comes at the perfect time ahead of the peak southern summer travel period.” 

Qantas flight QF7 landed on August 11, 2025, at 13:32 local time at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport after coming from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) .  

The flight covers more than 8,500 miles (13,679 kilometers) in about 17 hours, according to Dallas airport officials, making it one of the longest A380-operated routes. Qantas and DFW Airport officials captured the moment of arrival on social media. 

Qantas’ Airbus A380 has touched down at Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW) for the first time since 2020, operating QF8 from Sydney. Spanning over 8,5k miles and exceeding 17 hours, it’s the world’s second-longest nonstop A380 route. #Airways #News @DFWAirport pic.twitter.com/CTiGxwIR8P— Airways Magazine (@airwaysmagazine) August 12, 2025

The same aircraft started its return journey from Dallas (DFW) to Sydney (SYD) as Qantas flight QF8, leaving Gate D16 at 23:36 local time the same day. 

According to real-time flight tracking website FlightAware, the aircraft has been flying for over six hours at the time of writing, with more than eight hours left. It is expected to reach Sydney’s Gate 24 at 06:17 local time on August 13, 2025. 

Qantas fills British Airways A380 gap 

Qantas is restarting its Airbus A380 flights between Sydney and Dallas-Fort Worth after a five-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic and shifts in the market that led to the suspension of many long-haul routes worldwide. 

Prior to Qantas’ comeback, British Airways was the only airline flying Airbus A380s to Dallas-Fort Worth, but it stopped its superjumbo service to the Texas airport in March 2025 because of its own network changes and fleet updates. This left Dallas without any A380 service for several months. 

“We are seeing strong and growing demand between the United States and Australia, and DFW is an ideal hub for this growth thanks to our strong partnership with American Airlines, making it easier than ever for customers to connect across both our networks,” Howell added. 

Qantas announced it will run the Sydney–Dallas route four times a week, increasing to daily flights starting from January 2026. The post Qantas restores Sydney–Dallas A380 service, one of the longest routes worldwide appeared first on AeroTime.

Go to Source