At a recent Qantas AGM, AJ put a great emphasis on a delay of the B787 order, purportedly arranged with Boeing and supposedly a delay of 1 year, from 2016 to 2017.
I know for a fact, that the timeline, at that time, had only one 787 planned for arrival in 2016 (Nov/Dec I believe). So while the market lapped up a delay of one year, assuming this was a delay of the whole fleet by a year, in reality it was delaying the first aircraft by a couple of months. Smoke and mirrors again where the perception is more important than the reality.
I've heard that current plans are for 7 aircraft arriving in 2017 with this being just the start of a large fleet.
Of course this still hinges on the board signing off on it. It's just a plan. I hope it comes to fruition.
I also echo the comments preceding to give a hearty thanks to all of those involved in the negotiation process. It is great to finally see the negotiation process conducted in a forthright but respectful manner.
See what can be achieved when Oldmeadow et al are taken out of the negotiation process. These "professional negotiators" have been the single greatest impediment of meaningful negotiation over the years. Quite why Qantas has engaged them over the years I will never understand. It should be clear, now, that they have no place in negotiations anywhere within the Qantas group.