Qantas cargo boost with 2 aircraft conversions
Good news for Qantas cargo with the news that the airline is to boost it’s freighter capacity. Converting two Airbus 330 passenger aircraft into freighters to support online consumer demand. Both aircraft will support different roles within the Qantas cargo fleet. The first A330 aircraft will slip straight into Qantas Freight’s international network. The other aircraft goes to the fleet’s domestic parcel and mail business. Supporting the tie-up between Qantas and Australia Post.
When will the aircraft be ready
The first QA330 aircraft undergoes conversion from August 2022 with the second to follow. This gives an anticipated operating date for both within 2023. This isn’t the only addition to the Qantas freighter fleet. This week a third A321P2F Freighter comes online. Previously the narrow bodied A321 was a passenger aircraft for Jetstar. Converted to a Qantas freight aircraft to provide additional capacity in the run up to Christmas. The group moving aircraft from one arm to the other. Supporting it’s major carrier where it sees the most value.
Qantas cargo and passenger fleet continues to grow
As of July 2020 Qantas operated a flight of 126 aircraft but has steadily increased it’s fleet size since. The group reports 297 aircraft across all of it’s subsidiaries. Some aircraft remain mothballed due to the pandemic but from a cargo perspective the airline remains strong. It continues to be Australia’s largest independent air freight business. Indeed on the Qantas cargo website it boasts it still services 500 destinations globally. Of course at present this figure is much reduced. From the 01st November passenger services re-started. You can see the list of services coming online here.
Our freight business has boomed during the pandemic and while some of that is temporary, Covid has accelerated the permanent expansion of ecommerce and online shopping in this country. That’s why we’re working with key partners like Australia Post to respond to this structural change and increase the number of parcels that we can carry by air to ensure they arrive at people’s homes as quickly as possible,
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce
The tie-up with Australia post has brought considerable success to Qantas. With eCommerce having grown considerably over the last two years the airline has played a major part in this growth.
The two A321PTF aircraft already in the skies, and the third taking off this month, provide our network with critical additional capacity and flexibility, while also improving the sustainability of our air freight operations, as they can carry twice as many parcels and require less fuel per kilo of mail and parcels uplifted,
Paul Graham, CEO and MD of Australia Post
