Qantas locks in domestic fleet order for Airbus A321XLR, A220 jets
The first 40 Airbus A321XLR and A220 aircraft to revitalise Qantas' domestic fleet will begin to arrive from late next year.
By David Flynn, May 2 2022
- Up to 134 new jets will arrive between 2023 and 2033
- Airbus A320neo series jets replace Boeing 737 to become new domestic workhorse
- Airbus A220 series to replace regional Qantas Boeing 717s
Qantas has locked in a reinvention of its domestic fleet, securing orders with Airbus for its popular A320neo family – including the extended-range A321XLR – which will replace the Boeing 737 fleet currently plying its domestic and short-range international network.
In line with the confirmation of its 'Project Sunrise' A350 ultra-long-range aircraft order, the airline has confirmed the first aircraft in its domestic and short-range fleet renewal will enter service from late 2023, beginning the phase-out process for the older members of the Boeing fleet.
Qantas says its new short-range fleet will allow it to open a wider range of domestic routes and introduce new short-range international services to new cities in Asia and the Pacific islands.
Airbus edged out Boeing and its 737 MAX in what Qantas termed ‘Project Winton’ – named after the airline’s 1920 birthplace in central Queensland – which will redefine its fleet for decades to come.
Also on the way out are the ageing Boeing 717s flown by the regional QantasLink service – they’ll be upgraded to the Airbus A220.
Both new aircraft models will be up to 50% quieter than its retiring predecessors, with fuel burn up to 28% less per passenger.
Boeing's out and Airbus is in, with the A321XLR as Qantas' new domestic workhorse.
In announcing the deal, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce described it as "a generation decision on what aircraft will serve our domestic passengers for the next 20 years."
"“The A320s and A220s will become the backbone of our domestic fleet for the next 20 years, helping to keep this country moving. Their range and economics will make new direct routes possible, including serving regional cities better."
Qantas' initial order will start at 20 A321XLRs and 20 A220s with purchase orders for another 94 now signed and sealed.
Subsequent deliveries from an additional 94 purchase right options, along with the total spend, will be spread "over a 10-plus year delivery window" as the Boeing 737s and 717s are gradually phased out.
The first 40 Airbus jets carry a combined list price of at least $6.5 billion before the typical 30-50% discount enjoyed by airlines.
This sees the total order for as many as 134 single-aisle jets top a staggering $20 billion – and while discounting could have slashed that to $10 billion, it remains a staggering sum for almost any airline at almost any time.
However, Qantas says that this is the perfect time to go shopping for new aircraft due to soft demand from airlines, and to reinvest in its future with an eye towards driving massive improvements in cost and overall efficiency, including reduced fuel burn and lower emissions.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce is all smiles over his stunning deal with Airbus.
"This is a long-term renewal plan with deliveries and payments spread over the next decade and beyond, but the similarly long lead time for aircraft orders means we need to make these decisions now," said Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce.
"Qantas is in a position to make these commitments because of the way we've navigated through the pandemic, which is a credit to the whole organisation."
"This is a clear sign of our confidence in the future and we've locked in pricing just ahead of what's likely to be a big uptick in demand for next-generation narrow-body aircraft."
Mix and match
Settling on an all-Airbus domestic fleet gives Qantas added flexibility for flying different types of aircraft on different routes, Joyce says.
"The combination of small, medium and large jets and the different range and economics they each bring means we can have the right aircraft on the right route."
"For customers, that means having more departures throughout the day on a smaller aircraft, or extra capacity at peak times with a larger aircraft, or the ability to start a new regional route because the economics of the aircraft make it possible."
Qantas can also switch up its orders over the ten-year deal, opting for variants within the A220 and A320neo families "depending on our changing needs in the years ahead," Joyce added.
The Qantas order will also be combined with Jetstar's existing A320neo-family orders, and the Qantas Group’s existing deal for up to 36 A321XLRs, resulting in a total order book of almost 300 jets which can be divided between the airlines as needed.
And as you'd expect, Airbus is pretty chuffed with the result of what its Chief Commercial Officer Christian Scherer described as "an especially exciting campaign that has pushed the boundaries of technical, operational and financial evaluation, with in addition, a specific focus on sustainability."
"With the combination of the A220 and A320neo families Qantas is charting a course to operate one of the most modern, sustainable and fuel efficient fleets in the world... while offering its passengers the highest levels of aircraft cabin comfort in both the domestic and regional market segments."
What to expect from the Qantas Airbus A321XLR
While champagne corks will be popping at Airbus’ headquarters in Toulouse, it’s Qantas passengers who will be the real winners.
The new A321XLR will be five metres longer than the outgoing 737 and will be configured to seat 200 passengers, of whom 20 will be in business class.
Noticeably quieter than the Boeing 737, the near-vertical interior walls and modern ‘Airspace’ interior cabin design will make Qantas' domestic services feel far more spacious.
Roomy overhead bins can stow not only more bags but larger ones, in a welcome nod to travel trends.
More room for more (and bigger) bags...
In short: think of the A320neos as pint-sized versions of the twin-aisle A350, right down the LED mood lighting.
And while most people don’t know if they’re flying on an Airbus or Boeing jet, the A320neos will also give Qantas a greater chance to differentiate itself from Virgin Australia, which will begin flying the Boeing 737 MAX from the middle of 2023.
Joyce says the airline has "some exciting plans for the next-generation cabins we'll put on these aircraft, which will offer improvements for passengers that we’ll share in coming months."
The long-legged A321XLR and A321neo can carry between 180-220 passengers in a standard two-class configuration, as opposed to the 174 seats of the current Boeing 737; the smaller A320neo brings this back to 150-180 seats.
Airlines flying A320neo-series jets have rolled out everything from conventional business class seats to the fixed-shell deep recliners of Cathay Pacific's A321neo...
Cathay Pacific's A321neo Business Suite seats recline into their own shell.
... to the lie-flat beds of JetBlue's A321LR Mint Suites, which also boast a sliding privacy door...
JetBlue's A321LR Mint Suites.
... and see the two front-row suites upgraded to an even more spacious and better-appointed Mint Studio.
JetBlue's A321LR Mint Studio.
Read more: JetBlue's game-changing A321LR business class
Seats like that could be a must-have for any Qantas A321LRs and A321XLRs, especially with their ability to reach into Asia – all the way up to Tokyo, in fact – well beyond the scope of their domestic brief.
This could open up non-stop flights to and even between smaller cities which couldn't justify larger twin-aisle jets such as the Airbus A330 or Boeing 787, and which would otherwise require a stopover.
“That changes the economics of lots of potential routes into Asia to make them not just physically possible but financially attractive," Joyce remarked after inking the initial A321XLR order in 2019.
These direct 'thin' routes would prove a value time- and hassle-saver for business traveller, although passenger comfort will come to the fore on these eight-to-nine hour treks.
What to expect from the Qantas Airbus A220
Qantas will also trade up from its 20 ageing Boeing 717 jets with an average age of some 20 years to the Airbus A220 series.
Larger than the outgoing aircraft, Qantas has ordered this model configured to seat 137 passengers, of which 10 will be in business class. This marks an uptick of 25% in overall onboard head count with what the airline says will be no reduction in space between seats.
The Airbus A220 will be the future of QantasLink.
Among the dozen international airlines already flying the A220 are Air Canada, Delta, JetBlue and Swiss.
As with the larger A320neo family, the A220 is quieter and far more modern inside.
The overhead bins can accommodate one roller bag for every passenger – an established sore point on the Boeing 717.
Inside JetBlue's Airbus A220.
Business class in the Airbus A220 is arranged in a 2-2 manner, with the premium seats at 21 inches wide – a smidge more than on the Boeing 717.
And the possibilities for Qantas' A220 business class are wide open, especially as the airline says these nimble jets could end up darting between capital cities.
By way of example, here's what US carrier Breeze – created by JetBlue founder David Neeleman – selected for the pointy end of its A220s.
Breeze Airways' Airbus A220 first class 'Nicest' seating.
In economy, the A220 adopts an interesting layout of three seats on one side of the aisle and two on the other.
Yes, there’s a dreaded middle seat – but Airbus says the A220 can be configured with that middle seat at a slightly wider 19 inches across, compared to 18 inches (the same as the Boeing 717) for window and aisle seats.
Inside JetBlue's Airbus A220.
Also read: What's it like to fly on an Airbus A220?
Qantas says it also holds purchase rights for the smaller A220-100, capable of seating 100-120 passengers – around the same amount as the Boeing 717 – in a two-class layout, giving it "a fleet mix that can deliver better network choices and route economics."
"The small and medium size A220s provide the Group with flexibility to deploy these aircraft throughout most of its domestic and regional operations," Qantas elaborates.
"They could be used during off peak times between major cities and on key regional routes to increase frequency."
Additional reporting by Bloomberg
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
25 Jul 2013
Total posts 65
Great news. Interesting that they went for the A321XLR for their domestic fleet, as these planes can do fairly long stretches. I wonder how they’ll be deployed.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 Mar 2018
Total posts 27
Totally agree XLR should be doing mid haul international and coast to coast would be a waste on Syd Mel Bne.
20 Oct 2015
Total posts 240
Not at all, the A321XLR will be needed for peak hour demand on the 'triangle' because of its capacity, and it'll have the flexibility to then do an east-west leg, eg SYD-MEL and then MEL-PER, or maybe SYD-BNE and then BNE-SIN even. As long as it has really good seats, and for international you'd reckon that would be the case, this makes it very flexible for Qantas.
16 Nov 2011
Total posts 595
Gold4life think the comment was in relation to the choice of the A321XLR specifically. What you have suggested could be done by a standard A321 or an A321LR. Says to me Qantas does have other plans for the A321’s that require an XLR and they are standardising on that model maybe to make fleet management easier.
07 May 2015
Total posts 41
That's very possible, although I find it hard to imagine that the A321XLR which must be more expensive than say an A321neo would end up as the only B737 replacement. But maybe it will make enough of a difference in terms of simplifying the fleet and making it easier to schedule any plane on any route, and maybe Qantas landed enough of a deal to justify going all-out on the A321XLR. I suppose time will tell!
04 Sep 2019
Total posts 55
Lets hope we see some A321s with international grade business class flying to places like Bali, Tokyo, New Zealand, Singapore direct from Australia
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 Aug 2013
Total posts 249
This article threw me off because A321XLR doesn't make sense for domestic especially since they already ordered.
So I looked at Qantas newsroom it's actually the A320 and A220 that was ordered NOT the A321XLR for B737 replacement, ET just needs to fix the typo.
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1424
Dan the qantas newsroom is very clear 20XLRs for the moment, others under purchase rights to be exercised over the next 10 years. The XLR provides flexibility for greater utilisation.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 Aug 2013
Total posts 249
For clarification - yes A321xlr and A220 ordered, but A321xlr was already in Qantas plans as replacement for some A330s and new short/med intl.
The A321xlr isn't a replacement as such for domestic B737 - predominantly this will be the A320 as per below Qantas newsroom extraxt. The ET article states that A321xlr will be domestic replacement. It may appear on some routes where needed but it is not the replacement aircraft for B737. The A320s and perhaps A321neos will make up bulk of the domestic fleet in 10 years time. The A321xlr has an additional fuel tank - all that weight and higher cost to be used on domestic services doesn't make sense where as A320/21neo will.
"Qantas has selected the Airbus A320neo and Airbus A220 families as the preferred aircraft for the long-term renewal of its domestic narrow-body fleet.
A firm commitment for 40 aircraft – 20 A321XLR (extra long-range) and 20 A220 aircraft – is expected to be placed with Airbus by the end of FY22, following discussions with employees about arrangements to operate the new aircraft types and a final decision by the Qantas Board"
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1424
Dan the XLR makes sense with a mix of domestic and international to get the daily utilisation up. Much like they do with the A332s which run the triangle as well as intercontinental and international. The XLR being 80 seats smaller than the A330 will be able to do this mix of routes much more. Don’t forget there is an earlier order of 12 XLRs for Jetstar and QF, so there may be more than 20 XLRs in Qantas livery.
05 Mar 2015
Total posts 413
Actually as the Qantas release and the ET article says, Qantas has selected the Airbus A320neo and Airbus A220 "families". The A321XLR is a member of the A320neo "family", as is the A321neo and the A321LR. The first orders to replace the Boeing 737 will be the A321XLR, the rest are not specific because Qantas can choose more A321XLRs or step down to an A321LR or A321neo for or even A320neo for example. I agree the Qantas release is confusing especially at first glance, but ET has got it right and I think does a decent job of trying to explain this.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
07 Aug 2013
Total posts 249
ET is saying that the Airbus A321XLR to replace Boeing 737 to become new domestic workhorse - A321xlr is the firm order from the previously A321xlr Qantas Group annoucement which is now saying Qantas will secure 20 of those XLRs. If I'm wrong I'm wrong but I would bet the a321xlr will not be the aircraft replacement for the b737 - it will be majority a320 and the A321neo.
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2555
Hey Dan22, and thanks for your engagement on this. The article's been updated and revised across the day, as it's been quite a beast to wrangle and a lot of stuff to get through – I was certainly doing double-takes when the press release landed due to those various references to the A320neo and A321XLR – and in one of these revisions I've gone back and tried to better represent the A320neo family vs specific A321XLR jet order and how this stacks up against the Boeing 737. Hopefully that'll clear things up a bit.
11 Sep 2015
Total posts 219
I think we'll still see the A321neo as the main replacement for the domestic 737s, this first batch of A321XLRs was something Qantas was already planning, it was announced in 2019 as a 'Qantas Group' order which could be for both Qantas and Jetstar, now the first 20 are definitely for Qantas but I think they will do a mix of domestic and international flying.
22 Apr 2013
Total posts 13
Fantastic News! Can certainly see the benefits the Airbus fleet will bring to Qantas so nice work! Although I love the old 717 seat pitch, this will be a grate modern transformation.
03 May 2021
Total posts 43
Once again, Western Australia doesn’t matter and they will keep putting those awful Fokker 100 planes on routes within wa :/
07 Nov 2020
Total posts 39
Who says? They could deploy the A220 or the Alliance E190s.
17 Feb 2020
Total posts 14
Great news! The A320NEO planes are so much nicer to fly in for space and lower noise, compared to the Boeing 737 product.
It will also create a real point of difference to Virgin who are purchasing the 737-MAX.
03 May 2013
Total posts 672
The flexibility of this A321XLR means these planes can be thrown around on virtually any short medium haul route. It's also a much nicer aircraft to fly in, wider and quieter. Boeing has nobody to blame but itself becoming stale in its offerings.
20 Jan 2017
Total posts 45
Great news
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1424
The XLR means in day’s roster they can do a domestic run plus an international run to say Singapore, and increase daily utilisation. It mean the mainland capitals can have a daily Singapore flight.
11 Sep 2015
Total posts 219
This is exactly what I think we will see. Jetstar already talked about doing this with the A321LR, which is a long-range neo, it could do domestic legs in the day and then fly up to Bali and back for evening or overnight. The utilisation of these aircraft is going to be amazing!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jan 2014
Total posts 321
Like many I wouldn’t have a clue what plane I am sitting on but anything that gives us more overhead storage gets a big tick.
07 Nov 2020
Total posts 39
Really? You don't know what type of plane you're on? I find that curious given you're on a travelling website and commenting on article like this.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Jan 2014
Total posts 321
Well if you get your jollies by knowing whether you are on an Airbus, Boeing, Embraier or any other brand of aircraft than good on you, I couldn’t care less, I am more concerned with what’s on the plane, seating, service, meals, storage, Wi-Fi etc.
05 Mar 2015
Total posts 413
There are a LOT of people who don't really care that much about the type of plane, they care more about the 'passenger experience' of the seat, the cabin, comfort and connectivity, f&b etc etc. Just because they come to this website doesn't mean they are 'into' aviation that much.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 972
@GBRGB, so if I told you my niece reset the master computer in mid flight due to an error would you care what type of plane that was she was flying with over 100 POBs?
07 May 2015
Total posts 41
Why would anybody care? What difference does it make in that scenario to know the type of plane you are on? Really, some of this sounds like avgeek snobbery.
31 Mar 2014
Total posts 377
I like to know which plane I will be on and will often choose a flight with the desired plane. Not because I get my jollies from it, but because a different type may have a better seat or cabin experience. A key example is the difference in business on 737 vs A330 on east west flights, which I normally frequent.
10 Apr 2020
Total posts 11
Dont think this is a done deal yet. Boeing will complain to their government who will inturn pressure our government to get Qantas to reverse their decision, just like the subs deal take two
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 435
Not going to happen. Boeing knew this was theirs to lose, the MAX isn't really that 'new' plus it has massive PR issues which could make people reluctant to fly it, plus Boeing couldn't offer the wide ranging and efficient solution Airbus did with A220 versions and A320neo versions which can become a single pool for Qantas, QantasLink and Jetstar.
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 435
This is exactly the result I was hoping for, Airbus winning both 'contests', but I didn't dare think it might happen. But I'm so glad it did, and I think the point Alan makes about the flexibility of both the order and the aircraft could have sealed this deal compared to any other option. The range of the A220s is so much more than the Boeing 717s, while the A321XLRs can do serious mid-range international flying too. So much better than a very mixed fleet!
13 May 2020
Total posts 801
let's hope that the new Brisbane/Albury nonstop currently using Dash 8s, will be replaced by jets, either the A220s or any of the 3 Alliance jets.
Apparently a B737-300 can get in & out of Albury without restriction, but nothing bigger.
Surely a route such as Adelaide/Albury/Brisbane & beyond could be operated by 1 of these 4 smaller jets, viably.
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 972
Great Work by Qantas but where does this leave Alliance long term? Does the Alliance share price crash on this news?
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1209
Given Alliance's share price is up by 3.7% today, obviously not.
There is a fair difference in size between an E190 and an A223 so it doesn't look like QF mainline and direct subsidiaries are going after what Alliance does for them yet. If some of the markets Alliance operate grow, it is possible that they would eventually move but we don't know the internal comparative cost models to know when and if that would make sense.
05 Mar 2015
Total posts 413
I shouldn't get so excited about this but I can't help myself. Having flown on quite a few A321neos and also the Swiss A220 these really are superlative aircraft from a passenger experience perspective. It's going to be very interesting to see what Qantas does with business and even economy seating in these.
15 Dec 2021
Total posts 2
Excellent selection for an excellent airline. Premium, safe and reliable.
13 May 2020
Total posts 801
yes qantas haven't written off an aircraft since sep 99 (Bangkok 747-400) destroyed but repaired.
Must have been interesting negotiations with insurance co.
15 Dec 2021
Total posts 2
Hope Qantas do a JetBlue style Business class on the A320neo family aircraft. It will set a standard for premium Australian short-haul travel.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 462
I suspect there will be two configs - basically a domestic and an international/trans-continental - similar to what AA has.
11 Sep 2015
Total posts 219
I agree, and you can imagine the mainstream media going wild when Qantas rolls out its first A321XLR with Mint-like suites, they'll think this is what all Qantas A320neo family jets will be like! And it'll be amazing when the XLR does domestic legs. But I think that we'll see will be exactly as you say, a better business class for the domestic A321neo fleet for example, and then an amazing business class for the XLRs to do east-west and international routes.
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1424
John, I think with 20 XLRs they will use them domestic then international for maximum daily utilisation so I suspect they will have a common configuration.
30 Aug 2019
Total posts 25
Not sure how much of a chance Boeing really had.
Qantas already had 45 A320neo's on order for Jetstar, and announced that the A350 was the plane of choice for Project Sunrise, so I think Airbus was always the plan for the domestic fleet renewal.
17 Jun 2021
Total posts 3
I wonder if they are going to phase out the Dash 8-400s with the A220 too since they very similar in capacity and size? Interesting times for us regional dwellers!
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1424
As the Dash 8 is going hydrogen/electric elsewhere by end of decade Qantas may join the move for the shorter distances.
13 May 2020
Total posts 801
AFAIK
turboprops are much cheaper to operate than jets under approx 90 mins & less can go wrong. Someone might know more on this.
16 Nov 2011
Total posts 595
A dash8-400 and even the smallest a220 are not even close to the same capacity. Dash 8-400 75 pax single class, A220-100 is around 120 in single class, 100-110 2 class. That’s a 33% increase in capacity. And besides Qantas are not ordering the smaller model, nor have they ruled it out either.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Aug 2014
Total posts 157
I'm doubting the $50 billion price in the buy line here. That amount, divided by the possible 134 aircraft, makes the aircraft $373 million each. Qantas would be paying well under $100 million per aircraft. Something doesn't add up.
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2555
Hey Hakkinen5 – this was a figure previously supplied to us some months back, and not by Qantas, we've been updating this article through the day as it's a bit of a beast and that number has since been scrubbed. Any numbers you see being bandied around from tomorrow might be closer to the mark, but they'll usually be either a whopping big number based on the published (or estimated) list price, before the typical 40-50% discount which airlines get; or post-discount, and one has to wonder how much Qantas was able to slice off the sticker in what's a massive and prestigious deal for Airbus.
Updating this: our syndication partner Bloomberg has an article on the deal with some list-based pricing, which we've now included here and added indicative discount figures.
14 Oct 2016
Total posts 105
I always felt an increase in differing types of narrow bodies was going to happen as one thing the Pandemic has shown is how vital point to point is.
With plenty of small airports, like ADL, CBR, LST, CNS and many others plus the addition of SWZ from 2026; an a220 type plane was always going to be a good proposition as it has the smaller capacity of a 717, but with the range to get itself anywhere on the Australian mainland which the 717 didn't have. Plus even with the reduced capacity, it has similar or better operating costs per passenger to a 737 which is a huge gain for Qantas.
Turkish Airlines - Miles & Smiles
08 Jun 2014
Total posts 264
This would be fantastic to fly up to BME from PER, in J.
11 Sep 2015
Total posts 219
How good is this! Qantas has the chance to really put something different into the market and make the most of the A320neo and A220 cabins etc. I really like the idea of the A220 being able to do some inter-city flights but also the possibility of the A321LR or XLR being able to support a route like Adelaide-Singapore, for bringing international flight back to Adelaide, plus routes to some other Asian destinations which don't work on an A330.
29 Jan 2020
Total posts 33
Also compensation for the French after Scomo cancelled the submarine order!
07 May 2015
Total posts 41
On business class, I suspect we will see three types of business class seats across this fleet: one for the A220s, one for the 'domestic workhorse' A320neo or A321neo jets which might also end up going to NZ for example, and one for the A321LR or A321XLR to suit transcontinental and 'real' international routes like Asia.
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 435
Wonder what this will mean for the Airbus A330s? I realise this purchase was all about domestic fleet renewal but the A321XLRs will be on those premium domestic east-west routes as well as most routes to Asia which the A330s do, so this has got to be a threat to them.
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1424
Asia I think the A332s are on the way out in favour of the XLR.
05 Mar 2015
Total posts 413
Yep, hit that nail on the head. I think the writing is on the wall for the A330s. They'd have to be around 15 years old by now, on average, so by the time the A321XLRs begin to arrive the A330s will be ready to be retired.
But don't forget that Qantas still has options on a lot of Boeing 787-9s from its original order of, what, 50? And it got those at an amazingly low price back in the day, compared to now. So I wouldn't be surprised if Qantas announced it was bringing on another 5-10 Boeing 787s so they can handle the routes where there's high enough demand for A330s, like Singapore, Bangkok, Honolulu etc. So you'd have the 787s for routes where the demand is strong, or even for seasonal demand like holidays, and then the A321XLRs for routes with less demand or sometime off-peak. Might even be times when a route has more demand than a 787 has seats and needs a double-daily service but there's not enough extra demand to fill that extra 787, so roll out the A321XLR.
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1424
The 78-10 might also come into play for the higher volume intra Asia routes, with a similar capacity to the A330.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 462
I think you've hit it in one there. I suspect Qantas will confirm the orders for at least another 20 B787s in the next few years.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Aug 2014
Total posts 157
Why would the A321XLR's be on transcon? The A321 standard jet is well within it's range.
22 Sep 2017
Total posts 80
An A330 can carry a lot more cargo, so it depends on the demand and prices for that, by destination.
Thai Airways International - Royal Orchid Plus
15 Jan 2013
Total posts 464
we never imagined the day this would happen.Way back in the days of Australian It was the 737-400 that was ordered as the replacement for the 727-200's of the day Airbus was on the cards with the A320 but for commonality reasons with the 737-300 they went with two kids.Fast Forward to Today and it's the French who are giving us the replacements for old faithful.
16 Nov 2011
Total posts 595
I think many, including myself when I first read and commented on this article are missing the fact that these new orders are being combined with the existing A320 family orders for the Qantas group.
The Qantas announcement says both Jetstar and Qantas will be drawing from those orders. So that doesn’t mean it will be one 787-800 out and an A321XLR in. It means Qantas could be looking at also introducing the A320 and the non XLR A321 for domestic ops. In fact given the size of the order (and yes I know there are options) I would say there will be plenty of planes from existing orders in Qantas colours.
Also a prediction that the Jetstar 787-8’s will end up in Qantas colours too with A321XLR’s taking over many of Jetstars 788 routes.
03 May 2013
Total posts 672
I wonder how the cancelled 8 A380's factored into this deal(or indeed the A350 for Sunrise deal)
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1424
Joe, I think you mean two canceled A380s. Ten have been slated to return. The A350 has been chosen like the latest order the detail will be announced in the new year. Probably February with the first half results.
03 May 2013
Total posts 672
Originally Qantas ordered 20 A380's. 8 were cancelled. 2 have been scrapped from the remaining 12 ordered and delivered, with 10. remaining
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Apr 2011
Total posts 47
When I started reading this article, I was thinking that the "if it ain't Boeing, I ain't going" mob would not be best pleased by this decision. But the consensus seems to be that it is a good decision, and almost everyone is happy. A good result for Joyce then.
In the interests of fairness, I have to admit that I am an Airbus fan :-)
Aegean Airlines - Miles & Bonus
16 Jul 2019
Total posts 25
By the time these aircraft arrive, the A330s will be getting on.
Moving forward Qantas' fleet will be A320 family for domestic, A350 for Project Sunrise, A321XLR for thin routes into Asia and the 787 for fatter regional routes and the US - with the A380 around for as long as it's viable.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Mar 2014
Total posts 23
Best Christmas present ever as a QF frequent flyer this is so awesome! It creates a brilliant point of difference to Virgin & Bonza (both with B737 Max) and means Qantas will have the widest seats across its domestic fleet on min 18 inches.
A quick prediction... the reason why there's a small 40 order with such big purchase rights could be because we're likely to see in the next 18 months an A220-500 launched. Can imagine Qantas has an eye on this as it will sit exactly in the B737/A320 space.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
19 Jun 2019
Total posts 8
The A220 is a great sale over the 717, good to see investment in regional fleet so Link soon has that and Q400 as the core of the fleet
Love the jump to XLR, sets up the core planes to do SYDMEL and DPS JKT AKL NAN etc. Interesting to see if QF uses the XLR in a few years to try new 1-2 per week leisure routes, the old Aussie Air route to Kota Kinabalu, Apia or Papeete maybe?
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
06 Mar 2015
Total posts 232
Very happy to see QF choosing Airbus for it's fleet expansion.
In every way the Airbus product is far nicer for the passenger as far as comfort and especially the noise level goes.
The A320 is streets ahead of the poor old outdated B737 max and if you've ever travelled in the A350 one would know just how incredibly comfortable and quiet that is.
Boeing seems to have dropped the ball in the Aeroplane stakes!!1 It used to be an overall great product but has fallen way behind Airbus.
VA's all B737 fleet won't be the preferred aeroplane to travel in before too long. The only saving grace will be their much cheaper air fares --- at the moment so that should keep them going until QF start price reductions, if ever they do.
04 Sep 2019
Total posts 55
I figure making bombs and warplanes for the USA must be more lucrative than passenger planes
Singapore Airlines - KrisFlyer
17 Nov 2014
Total posts 102
I am hoping the A321XLR will allow Qantas to launch new medium-haul international routes.
Perhaps SYD-OKA would be a good start?
13 May 2020
Total posts 801
so all qantas flights to Asia will soon be A321 narrowbody jets, except a few aircraft going to UK/EU which might stop in SIN.
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1209
200 seats in an A321 means new planes will be fitted out with traditional recliners in J class which suggests these birds will be concentrated on domestic and trans-Tasman services which seems a bit of a waste given a standard A321NEO could have done this. Maybe they will introduce a sub-fleet in future for medium haul international services with a lie-flat J class and some sort of Premium Economy / Economy + option.
04 Nov 2020
Total posts 17
Great news.
Having flown the A220 in Europe, I’m excited to see it roaming the Australian (and pacific) skies in the future. An amazing aircraft in many ways.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 May 2014
Total posts 19
Maybe out of left field , but what aircraft will replace the De Haviland DHC-8 Dash 8 used on the Lord Howe Island Route with the runway restrictions?
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1424
Draper there are a whole lot of electric aircraft coming through which may be a replacement at the end of the decade.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
01 Apr 2011
Total posts 47
All very nice I'm sure, but I'll bet any money there will be no extra leg room, and cattle class will still be a trial not to be endured. I'll stick with Economy X on Virgin thank you. It will be a golden opportunity to provide a whole new customer cetric service offering, but knowing Joyce, it will be squandered. He will be solely focused on recouping his billions of dollars outlay in the first 12 months.
08 May 2020
Total posts 41
Excited about the A220s. I love the E190/E195 with the 2x2 economy seating with good leg room, the A220 looks like it will be a similarly enjoyable aircraft
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
18 Feb 2015
Total posts 124
And what is the plan for the 30 year old Fokkers?
24 Aug 2011
Total posts 1209
QF's FIFO operator Network is gradually replacing the F100s with older Jetstar and Jetstar Asia A320s. There may be some services where the A320 is too much and you'd think secondhand E175s or E190s would be used for these routes.
13 May 2020
Total posts 801
QF already using Alliance E-190s which they got for a song apparently. Would have thought QF would be using Alliance a lot going forward, with Alliances much lower cost structure.
That said just noticed next month some Alliance e-190s flying BNE/CBR for QF have been replaced by B717s.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer P1
23 Aug 2014
Total posts 138
Au revoir Boeing
26 Mar 2020
Total posts 65
The idea of spending in 8 - 9 hours in a single-aisle aircraft in the economy just makes me feel chrostophobic - less toilets, less space to walk around the cabin.
We all know the long lines for single-aisle aircraft lavatories so even the suggestion of potentially flying to asian ports like Japan in an A321 in off putting
13 May 2020
Total posts 801
worst part is when aisle is blocked by drinks/food trolley & aircraft close to being full. How do you get to the toilet ?
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