Qantas Group CEO Highlights Extensive Fleet Renewal Across Airline Brands

Vanessa Hudson, CEO of Qantas Group, has emphasized the scale and impact of the ongoing fleet renewal program across its airline subsidiaries, describing it as the most significant in the company’s history. Speaking at a press conference in Sydney, Hudson highlighted the initiative as a crucial investment aimed at enhancing growth and improving customer experience.

Qantas Group, which includes Qantas, Jetstar Airways, Qantas Freight, National Jet Systems, Express Freighters Australia, and Network Aviation, is set for a major upgrade of its fleet. According to our research, Qantas is scheduled to receive twenty-five Airbus A321-200NY(XLR)s, twenty-four A350-1000s, eight Boeing 787-10s, and four 787-9s. Jetstar is expecting deliveries of forty-five A320-200Ns, eleven A321-200NXs, twenty-two A321-200NX(LR)s, and fifteen A321-200NY(XLR)s.

The renewal plan extends to Network Aviation, which is set to receive two A319-100s previously operated by Spirit Airlines, to enhance its fly-in-fly-out services. Meanwhile, Express Freighters Australia will add an A321-200(P2F) to its fleet, and National Jet Systems recently began operating two A220-300s for QantasLink with an additional 27 expected.

During Qantas Group’s recent half-yearly financial results announcement, Hudson detailed that the new aircraft models would replace older types, enabling longer flights and the opening of new domestic and international routes. However, production delays at Airbus have pushed back the delivery of the first A350s by at least six months. These aircraft are central to Qantas’s ambitious Project Sunrise, which aims to offer ultra-long-haul flights and is now projected to commence in mid-2026.

Qantas also plans to phase out its ten remaining A380-800s by the early 2030s, replacing them with the new A350s. Furthermore, the first of twelve Boeing 787s, ordered in 2023, is expected to start arriving in 2027-28, replacing the airline’s older A330 fleet.

This extensive fleet renewal underscores Qantas Group’s commitment to maintaining a modern, efficient, and customer-oriented fleet across its various airline operations, positioning the group for future growth and operational efficiency.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, Qantas Group