Overview
- Flight QF11 on December 7 from Sydney to Los Angeles was the aircraft’s first commercial service since reactivation, and passengers noticed left‑wing slat damage during the journey.
- Qantas said the A380, registration VH‑OQC “Paul McGinness,” operated normally and landed without incident before being grounded at LAX for repairs.
- The airline canceled the return flight and told customers the jet requires extended maintenance, with rebooking underway and compensation offered as points or credits.
- Engineers are preparing to replace the affected slat, with required parts reported en route to Los Angeles and expected by Wednesday evening AEDT.
- Qantas had only days earlier celebrated completing more than 100,000 hours of work to restore its tenth and final A380 from long‑term storage; the flight also saw an unrelated electrical malfunction that disrupted cabin systems.