Qantas has now grounded international flights for the foreseeable future due to the global coronavirus outbreak.Qantas operated a Boeing 747 for the Santiago flight and, with the airline's jumbo jets due to retire by the end of this year, speculation has been rife that this has quietly marked the end of the aircraft's service.

Not necessarily so, according to Qantas. The airline indicated the jumbo jets may still be put back into service if needed for government rescue flights (like the one that flew into Wuhan to evacuate Australians in early February) and might still return to regular service depending on how long the coronavirus crisis lasts. Qantas still has five 747s in its fleet.

Given the love among many passengers for the iconic jumbo jet, it would be highly surprising if Qantas decided to let the planes fade into retirement unheralded.