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Qantas is set to lease four 737-800s by the end of the year to combat delays in the arrival of its new fleet of A321XLRs.
In a note to staff, the airline’s domestic chief executive, Markus Svensson, said the mid-life aircraft would provide “bridging capacity” and receive new interiors to make them appear as new to customers.
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It comes as Qantas expects its first A321XLR to arrive on Wednesday from Hamburg. However, its arrival is three months later than expected, with another three of the same type still due to land by the end of the year.
The global aviation industry is facing a severe shortage of new aircraft, primarily due to post-COVID-19 supply chain issues and recruiting difficulties.
To combat the problems, the airline previously announced it would overhaul the cabins of more than 40 of its existing 737s, including the addition of new business and economy seats, larger overhead lockers, new carpets, sidewalls, and mood lighting.
In comments reported by The Australian, Svensson said the investments in the 737 fleet alongside the arrival of modern aircraft “signalled the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Qantas” and would “significantly elevate the experience we offer our customers”.
Additionally, Qantas also recently revealed it would shut its Jetstar Asia subsidiary and shift its entire fleet of 13 A320s to Australia and New Zealand.
Qantas is currently undergoing a significant fleet renewal program that will transform its domestic and international aircraft fleet.
Internationally, Qantas will receive 12 new 787 Dreamliners and 12 Airbus A350s to replace the bulk of its ageing A330 fleet, alongside the separate order for 12 specially adapted A350-1000 jets to launch Project Sunrise.
Domestically, the airline will purchase 28 Airbus A321XLRs and 29 A220-300s to fly its domestic routes, but with the option to buy many more.
Subsidiary brand Jetstar has already begun welcoming its new fleet of 38 A320neos, comprised of 18 long-range A321LRs and 20 A321XLR aircraft – an even longer-range variant.
Svensson added that the arrival of the first A321 XLR in Sydney this week, via just one stop in Bangkok, would give a “glimpse of what these incredible aircraft are capable of”.
“It wasn’t that long ago that one-stop flights between Australia and Europe were the domain of giant four-engine aircraft like the Boeing 747, which demonstrates just what a technological leap forward these aircraft are,” he said.
The news that Qantas will lease midlife aircraft significantly comes after new chairman John Mullen warned in March that the airline’s ageing fleet “should have been replaced earlier” and led to a reputation for “crap” service.
He added that the ageing fleet meant its customers were not getting the optimum experience, whether from cabin experience or mechanical issues.
“Unless you’ve got a lot of spare capacity, that cascades down through a whole lot of flights,” he said. “We need to have another year or 18 months of the new aircraft coming on to start to deserve the respect that hopefully we will generate.”
