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Fleet and Network
After a detailed review of network and schedules, the Qantas Group will re-assign aircraft to better match demand, defer aircraft orders, dispose of aircraft, increase fleet utilisation and exit under-performing routes.
Qantas Domestic will increase utilisation of narrow-body aircraft, allowing Airbus A330 aircraft in the domestic market to concentrate solely on East-West services and peak services on the Sydney-Melbourne-Brisbane triangle.
A330-200s will be freed up to enter the Qantas International fleet as replacement aircraft, helping to accelerate the retirement of older Boeing 747 aircraft.
All six of Qantas International’s non-reconfigured B747s will be retired ahead of schedule, by the second half of FY16. Nine reconfigured B747s with A380-standard interiors will remain.
Qantas’ final two B737-400s have been retired this month and all B767s will be retired by the third quarter of FY15, resulting in cost and passenger benefits from fleet simplification.
Qantas International’s eight remaining A380 orders will be deferred, with an ongoing review of delivery dates to meet potential future requirements. Schedule changes will allow maximum use of Qantas’ current 12 A380s.
The final three of 14 Jetstar B787-8s on firm order will be deferred.
Jetstar’s A320 order book has been restructured.
In total, more than 50 aircraft will be deferred or sold.
By FY16, the Group’s passenger fleet will have been simplified from 11 aircraft types to seven aircraft types, with an average age of eight years.
Over the next 12 months, Qantas will exit under performing routes and make aircraft changes on certain routes to better match capacity to demand.