Nothing has been finalized yet, but it looks like Qantas could soon place an order for a Boeing 787 Dreamliner…
Qantas could replace A330 with 787
Reuters Qantas is reportedly close to signing a new aircraft order with Boeing. Qantas now has a fleet of 14 Boeing 787-9s, matching the airline’s Dreamliner fleet. But the airline is now within weeks of ordering an unspecified number of Boeing 787-10s.
The 787-10 is the highest-capacity, shortest-range version of the Boeing 787, and the plane will primarily replace the Airbus A330. Qantas has a fleet of 26 Airbus A330s, including 16 A330-200s and 10 A330-300s.
The 787-10 is much larger, but similar in terms of the types of missions it can operate. A Qantas A330 averages about 16 years, but frame age he varies from 20 to just 8 years.
Incidentally, Qantas placed a total of eight Boeing 787 orders in 2005. Then, in 2018, the company increased its order by six, increasing its fleet to 14. Both orders add to the 12 Airbus A350-1000s ordered by Qantas in 2022 and will be used to operate the world’s longest routes from Sydney and Melbourne to New York and London.
My take on Qantas ordering more Boeing 787s
Qantas has long been very conservative in its long-haul growth. The airline seems to have a constant list of new destinations it wants to fly to, but aircraft shortages have hampered most of its expansion.
So it’s great to see Qantas expand its Boeing 787 fleet. As for the 787-10, it would be difficult to operate most Qantas flights to the U.S. without significant payload restrictions, but premium transcontinental flights, flights to Asia, flights to Hawaii, etc. May be used for navigation.
The 787-10 has amazing economics and the efficiency of sharing the fleet with the company’s existing 787-9s in terms of crew training and maintenance.
If Qantas will place the order, I hope the airline will take back the additional 787-9s so that we can add more flights to the United States. Otherwise, Qantas’ next transpacific expansion will come when the airline takes delivery of the A350-1000.
Conclusion
Qantas plans to order a Boeing 787 in the near future, and the company is reportedly considering a larger 787-10. Qantas plans to use the order to replace its existing Airbus A330 fleet, mainly on flights to Asia and some domestic flights, including Hawaii.
The 787-10 seems like the perfect fit for Qantas’ fleet, but I hope Qantas also introduces the 787-9.
What are your thoughts on Qantas nearing a Boeing 787 order?