Qantas Freight Unveils “Santa’s Freight” Livery for Holiday Season
In a festive kickoff to the holiday season, Qantas Freight has unveiled a Christmas-themed livery on one of its Airbus A321 freighters, aptly named “Santa’s Freight.” The carrier announced that this special aircraft is set to deliver an impressive 50,000 tons of freight during the holiday period. This initiative reflects the surge in demand for air freight services as online shopping continues to grow, with Qantas Freight noting a 5% increase in freight volumes compared to the 2023 Christmas season.
The “Santa’s Freight” livery, which decorates one of the six A321s in the Qantas Freight fleet, showcases the essential role that the aircraft will play in transporting goods across Australia. It is specially tasked with carrying a variety of items, including popular Australian foodstuffs such as seafood, seasonal produce, and even traditional Christmas puddings.
Qantas Freight is gearing up for a busy season, planning to fly approximately 550 additional hours across its domestic network in November and December 2024. This increase equates to 23 full days of non-stop flying, highlighting the intense logistical efforts involved. Additionally, the fleet will operate extra days, adding 3,000 tons of domestic capacity to meet the high demand. This is humorously compared to the equivalent of flying 12,000 fully-grown reindeer across various Australian cities and regional ports.
Igor Kwiatkowski, Executive Manager of Qantas Freight, expressed enthusiasm for the season, saying, “While Santa and his elves have been preparing to fly gifts for kids around the world, Qantas Freight has been busy getting our fleet of freight sleighs ready for the Christmas peak.” He further explained that the team has increased flying hours and added support and capacity, ensuring that the specially themed “Santa’s Freight” aircraft can efficiently deliver over 50 million kilograms of freight this Christmas.
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Qantas Freight will handle critical and festive shipments, including gifts, greeting cards, and perishables such as mangoes and prawns, not just within Australia but also globally. On the busiest days, the freight division expects to transport around one million kilograms of cargo daily, which is about 70% more than its usual daily uplift.
The array of items transported is vast and varied, including fresh produce like mangoes, cherries, and strawberries; a wide range of seafood; meats like beef, pork, and lamb; fresh cut flowers for festive decoration; dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese; as well as cars and F1 vehicles. Qantas Freight will also be responsible for transporting critical supplies crucial for maintaining the day-to-day operations of the country, such as aircraft engines, rescue helicopters, and medicines.
This holiday initiative by Qantas Freight not only showcases the company’s capacity to handle significant logistical challenges but also underscores its commitment to ensuring that the holiday season runs smoothly for families and businesses across Australia and beyond.
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