Qantas Superannuation Limited (the Trustee) and Qantas Airways Limited (the Company) announced today that they had agreed to a revised funding plan for the defined benefit divisions of the Qantas Superannuation Plan (the Plan) to reflect the adverse performance of financial markets over recent months.

Qantas will add four Middle East destinations to its network from 29 March, through a new codeshare arrangement with Etihad Airways.The agreement will give Qantas customers non-stop access to Etihad’s Abu Dhabi hub as well as connections to Amman in Jordan, Beirut in Lebanon and Bahrain.

Qantas has been forced to ground one of its A380s in the UK after the superjumbo developed a fuel leak.Passengers travelling from London to Melbourne endured a delay of more than 14 hours after the plane was declared “unserviceable”.

Qantas is to cut underperforming routes to China and India, as well as passing its domestic New Zealand services to its low-cost offshoot Jetstar.The downsizing comes a few weeks after the Australian carrier posted a 66 per cent drop in first half profit to just 136 million US dollars. Jobs are expect to go although the airline has yet to give a figure.

Qantas has extended its Airbus A380 network by launching flights between Sydney and London via Singapore. The airline will initially operate three A380 services each week on the Kangaroo Route.

Qantas has taken delivery of its second A380 aircraft in Toulouse, France. The Executive General Manager of Qantas, Mr John Borghetti, said the aircraft would arrive in Sydney tomorrow morning, 17 December, and begin operating services between Melbourne and Los Angeles and Sydney and Los Angeles on 22 December.