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Wirraway
30th Mar 2004, 09:55
Yahoo News 6:43PM

Qantas buys 5 new 737-800s
30/03/04 By: Andrew Nelson

Qantas Airways Limited said today it would acquire five additional two-class Boeing 737-800s for domestic operations. The purchase will further support their domestic network, which has recently seen the addition of a number of new routes including Sydney-Broome, Perth-Cairns, Perth-Canberra and Melbourne-Ayers Rock.

CEO, Geoff Dixon, said the new aircraft would increase the airline’s 737-800 fleet to 33 by the end of 2005.

“The acquisition of these five aircraft continues our strategy of growing the two-class Boeing 737-800 Qantas domestic fleet,” Mr Dixon said.

Since February 2002, Qantas advised that it has taken delivery of 21 737-800s with another two to be delivered in the middle of 2004. A further ten 737-800s will reportedly join the fleet between December 2004 and December 2005.

Mr Dixon went on to say that these new 737-800s are more fuel efficient, more spacious and cost effective than the 737-300s that are in the process of being retired from the fleet.

“By building this large fleet of modern 737-800s, we are offering our customers a better product as well as delivering improvements to aircraft utilisation, reliability and on-time performance.”

“The acquisition of the five new aircraft highlighted Qantas’ ongoing and substantial investment in its domestic product, both in the air and on the ground,” he concluded.

The cost of the five new aircraft was included in the company’s recent $6.7 billion capital expenditure forecast for the three years to June 2006.

Qantas lost -3c to $3.40 on the day’s trades.

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Wirraway
30th Mar 2004, 13:44
Wed "Sydney Morning Herald"

Qantas to buy another five big Boeings
By Scott Rochfort
March 31, 2004

Qantas yesterday announced plans to buy another five Boeing 737-800s for its domestic fleet, as part of the airline's program to simplify its fleet and phase out old aircraft.

The news also countered concerns Qantas would gradually scale down its main-line operations following the May launch of its low-cost offshoot, Jetstar.

On top of the five 737-800s ordered by Qantas last November, the new order will take the airline's fleet of the aircraft to 33 by late 2005.

The 737 order was of little surprise to analysts, given the aircraft were already factored into Qantas's three-year $6.7 million capital expenditure and fleet upgrade program.

But the most eagerly awaited news, according to Ian Myles of Macquarie Equities, is whether Qantas will expand its fleet of 30 long-range 747-400s, as the airline looks to expand international operations.

Following yesterday's joint annual board meeting of Qantas and its 18 per cent shareholder British Airways, the airline declined to comment on whether it had discussed any plans to set up or buy into a low-cost airline based in Singapore.

Given both airlines have jointly assessed the feasibility of setting up operations in India, Malaysia and Singapore in the past, one industry insider said: "If there's one guy who knows how to lose money in Asia it's Rod Eddington [the BA chief executive]."

Mr Eddington previously headed Cathay Pacific and the now defunct Ansett, which opened up Asian routes just before it collapsed.

As for reports Qantas was pushing to hire more foreign flight attendants to lower its wage and allowance bill, the airline's head of corporate communications Michael Sharp said: "We're continually assessing options but I can assure you that no decision has been made at all."

Already threatened with widespread strike action if it attempts to break the cap of 370 overseas-based flight attendants, Qantas could even face industrial action at Heathrow, where the International Transport Workers' Federation could support Australian flight attendants.

The head of the Flight Attendants Association's international division, Michael Mijatov, said the union "would do everything in its power" to stop Qantas substituting more overseas crew for its 4000 international flight attendants.

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Prop's ????
31st Mar 2004, 05:16
Qantas to buy another five big Boeings


Why does the media think this way, if the 737 is a big Boeing then what are the 777, 747 etc…

AIRWAY
31st Mar 2004, 11:30
what are the 777, 747 etc…


Small Boeings :} :}

You know the media mate :ok:

flying_pmm
4th Apr 2004, 04:31
C'mon boys.....you of all people should know that size is relative!