The airline is in detailed talks to lock in extra long range jets and speed up non stop flights to more distant cities. Rising urgency comes from widening delays at both Airbus and Boeing, which are pushing back handover dates for new wide body aircraft.
The carrier is examining how to trigger existing options for additional Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s, sources familiar with the discussions say. Those jets would eventually replace the A380 fleet and underpin more ultra long haul routes operated without stopovers. Lengthening delivery timeframes are forcing Qantas to move faster than planned. Any fresh order would sit on top of its already record $15 billion fleet renewal programme, spread across the next decade of operations.
Qantas’ current renewal drive is the largest in its 105 year history, reshaping both domestic and international operations with new aircraft types. Adding more A350s and 787s would deepen that pivot towards flexible, fuel efficient twin engine jets instead of very large four engine planes. Industry bodies point to constrained production lines at Airbus and Boeing, where supply chain issues and certification challenges slow output. Capacity planning for airlines chasing growth in premium long haul markets now needs to happen many years earlier.
