Originally Posted by
LHR/MEL/Europe FF
I think the problem is just distance. You need three planes for example (or is it more?) to fly MEL-LHR or SYD-LHR given all the waiting times on the ground.
3 per route if the A380 only operated the LHR routes. LAX would require 3 each too, but mingling the two routes together allows them to share the 3rd A380 between the two routes, ie. arrive from LHR, depart to LAX and arrive from LAX depart to LHR.
Between QF1/2/9/10/11/12/93/94 they need 10 A380s. Currently they've subbed one of the QF11/12 A380s due to 1 in reconfig and 1 in major maintenance and left one A380 to run HKG. Half the week this A380 sits around in SYD - technically they can make QF127/128 A380 daily. When the reconfig is complete, there isn't any schedule reason why QF1/2/9/10/11/12/93/94/127/128 can't all be daily A380s, + 1 spare or in maintenance.