Qantas A380 grounded in Los Angeles after wing slat damage on inaugural flight

A Qantas Airbus A380 was grounded in Los Angeles after the wing damage was discovered on its first flight. After nearly six years in storage, the incident marked an ominous return for the superjumbo.

The aircraft, registered VH-OQC and named "Paul McGuinness", was operating flight QF11 from Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on December 7, 2025, when passengers noticed visible damage to a slat on the left wing during the 13-hour flight.

The slat, which is a movable component that extends the wing during takeoff and landing operations, was experiencing delamination, which is the separation of layers of a multi-layered material such as composites or laminates, often due to the failure of an adhesive or bonding agent.

The slats are deployed during takeoff and landing but are retracted for most flight operations.
According to a Qantas spokesperson, the damage was confirmed after the aircraft landed at Los Angeles International Airport at 20:23 local time on December 7, 2025.
"The aircraft operated normally and landed without incident," the spokesperson said. "Engineers are now replacing the slats so that they can return to service."

Passenger concerns and additional technical issues

Lynn Gilmartin, an actress and World Poker Tour host who was on the flight, documented the wing damage on her Instagram account and expressed her disappointment at what she saw as a safety lapse. She said the plane "never" should have left Sydney and was "not fit for travel". Adding to passengers' concerns, the plane suffered an unrelated electrical fault that disrupted the in-flight entertainment system, cabin lighting, seat functionality and lavatory systems for much of the journey. Entertainment screens were inoperative for most passengers on the long-haul route, while lighting and other cabin services were occasionally affected.

Despite the apparent wing anomaly and system glitch, Qantas claims that passenger safety was never compromised. The airline confirmed that flight control and safety systems were operating normally and no injuries were reported.

Compensation offered

In response to the in-flight entertainment failure and other cabin-related issues, Qantas has offered compensation to affected passengers. Recognizing the disruption during the long journey between Australia and the United States, the airline has offered frequent flyer points or flight credits based on the level of inconvenience.
The incident highlights the challenges airlines face when reactivating aircraft after extended storage periods, particularly for complex widebody jets like the A380.

Recent return to service

The aircraft was retired just days after the Qantas A380 returned to Sydney on 2 December 2025, in what the airline describes as the largest maintenance project in its 105-year history. It is the tenth and final A380 in Qantas' fleet to return from storage since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Maintenance and engineering teams from various locations have completed more than 100,000 hours of work on the aircraft, including extensive engineering tests, heavy maintenance procedures, landing gear replacement and a full cabin refurbishment.
Qantas had initially planned to use the aircraft as an operational spare during the busy Christmas season. From 1 January 2026, regular services were planned to commence on the Sydney-Dallas route, allowing for daily A380 service on this route.