Qantas to resume A380 flights to Los Angeles, satisfied engine problem is fixed

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Two months after a jet engine disintegrated after taking off from Singapore, Qantas Airlines announced plans Tuesday to return the double-deck A380 jet to fly routes between Australia and Los Angeles.

Flights of the Airbus A380 from Australia have been on hold since a Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine on an A380 failed after takeoff from Singapore on Nov. 4, forcing the pilots to return the plane to the airport. Preliminary reports point to an oil leak that may have led to a fire in the engine.

Qantas said in a statement Tuesday that it was satisfied that the problem had been identified and fixed after extensive analysis and consultation with the engine manufacturer.

‘In close consultation with Rolls-Royce, we are now confident that we can begin flying the A380 to and from Los Angeles without any conditions on the use of maximum engine thrust,’ Qantas Executive Officer Alan Joyce said in a statement.

The first flight of the A380 from Melbourne to Los Angeles will depart Sunday. For the remainder of the month, Qantas will fly four routes between Melbourne and Los Angeles using the A380. From February on, Qantas will deploy the A380 on additional routes between Los Angeles and Sydney and between L.A. and Brisbane.

-- Hugo Martin