Replacing A330s and A380s
Qantas has announced a firm order for 24 widebody aircraft, consisting of twelve Boeing 787s (eight 787-10 and four 787-9) and twelve Airbus A350-1000s.
With deliveries starting in FY/27 and continuing into the 2030s, these aircraft will replace the bulk of the current A330 fleet, with purchase right options stretching out until at least FY/37 to provide flexibility for future growth and replacement of the A380 fleet.
They are also more cargo friendly. In FY/23, whose results were also announced last week, Qantas Freight is said to have "made a significant contribution even as market yields continued to normalise", delivering an additional AUD 150 million (EUR 89.2 million) in structural earnings growth that is expected to be maintained through a permanent increase in e-commerce and efficiencies from fleet renewal. (ah)