Hundreds of Qantas (QF) passengers were left stranded in Johannesburg for close to two days after a nose gear fault grounded their Airbus A380. Flight QF64 was due to depart O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB), Johannesburg, on the night of Monday, 10 August 2026, for the 12-hour journey to Sydney.
According to a report by ABC News, passengers say repeated attempts to get the flight away were abandoned over two days, forcing many to arrange their own accommodation in Johannesburg. Qantas eventually flew in a replacement aircraft on 12 August, and hundreds of passengers finally reached Sydney roughly 50 hours behind schedule.
The delay affected a wide mix of travelers, including families with young children and people who had been visiting relatives in South Africa. Passengers have since spoken to Australian media about the toll of the extended wait, both financially and emotionally.
Nose Gear Fault Grounds Flight QF64 In Johannesburg
Qantas told passengers by email that it had identified a problem with the aircraft’s nose wheel. Passenger Harriett Moore, who had been visiting family in South Africa, said the captain first flagged the issue as the plane prepared to leave the gate. “The captain told us there was something wrong with the nose gear, so we waited and waited, the plane pushed back, and then the captain came on again and said there was still an issue and we would have to disembark,” Moore said.
The disruption unfolded in stages over three days:
- 10 August: The A380 returned to the gate for engineering support after the nose gear fault was identified, and the flight was abandoned for the night.
- 11 August: Engineers sourced and installed replacement parts, and passengers were told the flight would depart that afternoon, but boarding was again abandoned.
- 12 August: Qantas secured a separate aircraft to complete the journey, and passengers finally departed Johannesburg for Sydney.
Moore described the experience as “distressing,” adding that families travelling with young children ran out of nappies and formula during the delay, while other passengers missed events such as parties back home.
Passengers Left to Arrange Their Own Accommodation
Moore said passengers were not assisted by the airline when the flight was first abandoned and had to scramble for hotel rooms themselves. The original A380 has remained on the tarmac in Johannesburg undergoing repairs since the fault was first identified.
The Sydney–Johannesburg service is Qantas’s only direct route between Australia and South Africa, and one of its longest, so passengers had few alternative options once the flight was cancelled. That isolation is part of what makes disruptions on this route harder to manage than on shorter, better-served corridors, since Qantas cannot simply rebook large numbers of economy and premium passengers onto a same-day competitor flight.
The route also crosses one of the most remote stretches of ocean in Qantas’s network, with limited diversion airports along the way. That geography is part of the reason Qantas has historically preferred its largest aircraft, the A380, for the crossing, since the type can carry the fuel reserves needed for a journey with few backup landing options if something goes wrong mid-flight.
Airline Revises Compensation Offer After Media Scrutiny
Qantas initially offered affected Qantas Frequent Flyer members 20,000 points, or a $200 Customer Care Travel Voucher for non-members, in an email sent on 10 August, the day the flight was originally due to leave. After ABC News began asking questions about the standard of the airline’s response, Qantas sent a follow-up email as passengers were landing back in Sydney, this time offering to refund the Johannesburg-to-Sydney leg along with an Uber voucher to get passengers home from the airport.
“On behalf of everyone at Qantas, we sincerely apologise for the significant disruption to your travel plans this week from Johannesburg,” the airline’s follow-up email said. “Thank you for your patience and understanding throughout what we know was an exceptionally difficult experience.”
In a different incident altogether, in July 2025, hundreds of Qantas passengers were stranded in Singapore for days after persistent A380 mechanical issues, a disruption made worse when an aerobridge struck and damaged the engine of a separate A380 parked in Sydney, adding a 21-hour delay to a different Johannesburg service.
All in All
Qantas has not said publicly when the grounded A380 will return to service from Johannesburg, or whether further compensation is planned beyond the refund and Uber voucher offered this week. Passengers seeking additional compensation for expenses such as hotel bills, meals, or missed connections can generally pursue those costs directly with Qantas under its standard disruption policy.
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