Qantas A380 grounded in Los Angeles after wing slat damage on inaugural flight

A Qantas Airbus A380 was grounded in Los Angeles after wing damage was discovered performing its first flight after being returned to service. After nearly six years in storage, the incident marks an inauspicious return for the superjumbo aircraft. 

The aircraft, registered VH-OQC and named “Paul McGinness,” was operating flight QF11 on on December 7, 2025, from Sydney Kingsfordsmith International Airport (SYD) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), when passengers noticed visible damage to a slat on the left wing during the 13-hour journey. 

The slat, which is a movable component that extends the wing during takeoff and landing operations, had experienced delamination, which is the separation of layers in a multi-layered material, like composites, or laminates, often due to failure of the adhesive or binding agent holding them together,

Slats are deployed during takeoff and landing but remain retracted for the majority of flight operations.

According to a Qantas spokesperson, the damage was confirmed after the aircraft landed at Los Angeles International Airport around 20:23 local time on December 7, 2025. 

“The aircraft operated normally and landed without incident,” the spokesperson said. “Engineers are now replacing the slat so it can return to operations.”

Passenger concerns and additional technical issues

Lynn Gilmartin, an actor and World Poker Tour host who was onboard the flight, documented the wing damage on her Instagram account and expressed frustration over what she perceived as safety lapses. She stated the aircraft should “never” have departed from Sydney and was “not fit for travel.”

Adding to passenger concerns, the flight experienced an unrelated electrical malfunction that disrupted in-flight entertainment systems, cabin lighting, seat functions, and lavatory systems for much of the journey. Entertainment screens remained non-functional for most passengers during the long-haul route, while lighting and other cabin services were intermittently affected.

Despite the visible wing anomaly and system malfunctions, Qantas maintained that passenger safety was never compromised. The airline confirmed that flight controls and safety systems functioned normally, and no injuries were reported.

Compensation offered

In response to the in-flight entertainment failure and other cabin-related issues, Qantas extended compensation to affected passengers. The airline offered frequent flyer points or flight credits based on the level of inconvenience experienced, acknowledging the disruption during the lengthy journey between Australia and the United States.

The incident highlights the challenges airlines face when reactivating aircraft after extended storage periods, particularly for complex widebody jets like the A380.

Recent return to service

The grounding comes just days after Qantas welcomed the A380 back to Sydney on December 2, 2025, completing what the airline describes as the largest maintenance project in its 105-year history. The aircraft is the 10th and final A380 in Qantas’ fleet to return from storage, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Maintenance and engineering teams from multiple locations completed more than 100,000 hours of work on the aircraft, including comprehensive engineering checks, heavy maintenance procedures, landing gear replacement, and a complete cabin renovation.

Qantas initially intended for the aircraft to serve as an operational spare during the busy Christmas travel period. Starting January 1, 2026, it was scheduled to enter regular service on the Sydney-Dallas route, enabling daily A380 operations on that connection.

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