Qantas to enter Dreamliner era
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Qantas has announced plans to acquire eight new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, ushering in what the airline called “a new era of global opportunities”.
The new long-haul jets will gradually replace five older Boeing 747-400s on international routes, and the Dreamliner’s fuel-efficiency will enable Qantas to “open up a range of potential new city pairs”.
The first four B787-9s will be delivered in the 2017-18 financial year, with the remaining four following in 2018-19.
Qantas had previously placed orders for 35 Dreamliners, but cancelled the deal in 2012 due to cost restraints. It retained its options for 15 B787s however – an arrangement that still applies today, potentially allowing the airline to expand its Dreamliner fleet in future.
Qantas’ low-cost subsidiary Jetstar already operates a fleet of 11 B787-8 Dreamliners, with three more still due to be delivered.
“This milestone acquisition marks the scale of our turnaround and looks ahead to a new era for our iconic international airline,” said Qantas’ group CEO, Alan Joyce. “We’re halfway through the biggest and fastest transformation in our history.
“These aircraft are a fitting emblem of that evolution – they show that we are revitalised and here for the long haul. We have looked closely at every aspect of the Dreamliner and it’s the right aircraft for Qantas’ future.
Joyce added that the aircraft would allow Qantas to “open up new destinations around the globe”.
“Because the 787 is smaller than the jumbos it will gradually replace, it gives us the flexibility of having more aircraft without significantly changing our overall capacity. Every Qantas aircraft is a symbol of Australia and these aircraft will represent Australian excellence and ambition on a global scale.”
The acquisition announcement coincided with the release of Qantas’ strongest profit since before the global financial crisis. The full-year pre-tax profit of AU$$975 million (US$716m) for 2014-15 marks a turnaround of AU$1.6 billion compared with the previous financial year.
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