Qantas Fleet Renewal: A321XLR Enters Service as A350-1000s Approach

Australia's flag carrier Qantas is in the middle of a major fleet renewal. This year has brought the first deliveries of the next generation Airbus A321XLR narrowbody aircraft, and the airline is steadily approaching the introduction of its long range Project Sunrise Airbus A350 1000s.

With these changes underway, it is a good moment to take a closer look at the state of Qantas' mainline fleet. The airline operates a broad mix of Airbus and Boeing models across both the narrowbody and widebody categories. According to ch aviation, Qantas currently has 133 aircraft in its mainline fleet.

Arrival of the A321XLR

The standout development for Qantas this year is the entry of the Airbus A321XLR into service. The first aircraft reached Australia in early July after a long delivery trip from Hamburg that included a stop in Bangkok. Following several test flights, Qantas announced in August that the type's first scheduled routes would link Sydney with Melbourne and Sydney with Perth, with ticket sales beginning in September.

At present, Qantas has taken delivery of two A321XLRs. Many more are on order. Data from ch aviation shows the airline still has 46 yet to be delivered, bringing the total order to 48. This figure was confirmed at the end of August when Qantas placed an additional order for 20 more aircraft. At the time, Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson highlighted that major investments in new aircraft are possible due to the company's continued strong financial performance.

Qantas' Widebody Operations

Widebody jets account for 54 of the airline's 133 mainline aircraft, or roughly 40.6 percent. The only Boeing widebody in the fleet is the 787 9 Dreamliner. Qantas operates 14 of these aircraft, which have an average age of 6.7 years compared with the overall fleet average of about 13 years. The airline also has four additional 787 9s on order along with eight larger 787 10s.

Qantas is also one of the relatively few airlines still flying the Airbus A380. The airline has 10 of these double deck jets in service, with an average age of 16.2 years. Historically, Qantas has flown two additional A380s. According to aeroLOPA, the aircraft are fitted with 14 first class suites, 70 business class flatbeds, 60 premium economy seats, and 341 economy seats.

The oldest widebodies in the fleet are Qantas' 30 Airbus A330s. This total includes 16 A330 200s with an average age of 17.5 years and 14 A330 300s averaging 19.8 years. The airline plans to modernize this segment of the fleet with 24 incoming A350 1000s, which will support future nonstop flights to cities such as London and New York under Project Sunrise.

Qantas' Narrowbody Fleet

Before the arrival of the A321XLR, the narrowbody fleet at Qantas consisted exclusively of Boeing aircraft. The airline continues to rely heavily on the 737 800, with 77 aircraft listed by ch aviation. These jets have an average age of 17.4 years.

Out of the 77 aircraft, 70 are currently active and seven are undergoing maintenance. Over the years, Qantas has also operated three additional 737 800s. According to aeroLOPA, the aircraft seat 174 passengers in total, with 12 business class seats and 162 economy seats.