Originally Posted by
LHR/MEL/Europe FF
by 'shortly' you mean in the next year or so? QF is still sellnig F to HKG on these well into next year.
My understanding of their plan is to reduce the 747 fleet over the next year to 9 aircraft which have the newer 3 class config with A380 style seating. Those 9 747s will be enough to cover JFK, SCL, DFW, JNB and BNE-LAX flights.
I would guess that by the time they have enough A330s to cover the current/planned 744 flights to Asia and FRA, they'll be down to the 9 aircraft they will keep until the rest of the A380s arrive.
With the 787s arriving to JQ from the middle of next year, thus A330s moving back to QF, a number of 747s will be heading to Victorville shortly afterwards.
It looks like by the end of next October, when FRA stops, there will only be the 9 58J/36W/270Y 747s remaining in service.