Australian national carrier Qantas has announced that it will commence flying the A380 superjumbo on the kangaroo route from London to Melbourne in 2010.

The aircraft will be fitted with 14 first class seats on the lower deck, along with 332 economy class, while 72 business class passengers and 32 premium economy passengers will be seated on the upper deck.

The service will fly from London to Melbourne with a refuelling stop in Singapore.

Qantas plan to add a further A380 to the route from January 18, bringing the total number of the giant jets in the fleet to six.

From January 18, the airline will operate A380’s on the route once a week with a further aircraft added from March 29, making the service twice weekly.

The Airbus A380, which cost about £190 million each can carry 450 passengers, compared with 300 to 350 on Boeing 747 jets, more fuel efficient and quieter than the ageing Boeing 747’s.

Chief executive of Melbourne Airport, Chris Woodruff said the announcement further cemented the collective strength as Victoria being a key tourism destination.

The airport has recently spent £60 million in expanding its departures terminal, complete with duel aerobridges specifically designed for the double-decker A380.