SIX MORE AIRBUS A321P2F FOR QANTAS
Qantas Airlines will procure six Airbus A321s for conversion to freighter transport, for deliveries between 2024 and mid-2026.
The Australian national carrier announced on August 15, 2022 a strengthening of its domestic cargo fleet "to meet the growing demand for e-commerce". Qantas procures “on the open market” six used A321s to convert them into cargo (P2F, passenger into freight), “subject to commercial negotiations”. They are expected to arrive later between the start of calendar year 2024 and mid-2026, and will replace the fleet of five Boeing 737Fs “which are approaching the end of their economic life” in the long term.
Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Qantas' freight division "has experienced a dramatic change in freight volumes, partly due to a structural shift towards online shopping", recalls its press release. Each A321 freighter can carry 23 tonnes of cargo 2,300 nautical miles (3,500 km), nine tonnes more than older 737s, and is "around 30% more fuel efficient per tonne of cargo carried".
The Oneworld alliance company currently has three A321P2Fs, ordered in 2019 and operated on behalf of Australia Post. Replacing the remaining 737 freighters (one -400F and two -300F, the third having retired in July 36 years after leaving FAL) with these newer aircraft "will simplify the freighter fleet, bringing additional efficiency in training and maintenance ". Qantas customers should benefit from “increased reliability, network flexibility and a net increase in capacity” from its freight business.
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said, “Qantas Freight plays a vital role in the Australian supply chain and this investment will expand our operations to meet increased demand for next day delivery. Qantas Freight has been one of the best performing players in the group during the pandemic (…), and demand remains well above pre-pandemic levels.”
The first three A321P2Fs "have been a fantastic addition to our fleet, and operating a single type of narrow-body aircraft in the future will allow us to generate more operational efficiencies and significantly reduce emissions per tonne." freight transported,” he added. "This is one of the largest investments ever made in our domestic freight fleet, which will allow Qantas Freight to capture more of this demand and provide the opportunity to help Freight further grow its income and profits.
The Australian company is also converting two of its A330-200s into freighters, one of which will be used on the domestic network. Ultimately, it will therefore have nine A321P2Fs and one A330F for domestic freight, plus one A330F for international.
Qantas Freight posted "record performance in the first half of FY22 due to increased e-commerce demand, higher international yields due to supply chain disruption and reduced capacity on passenger flights.
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