Qantas Airways converts 26 A321neo orders to A321XLR and adds 10 new A321XLR orders

Qantas Group announced (19-Jun-2019) an update to its existing order with Airbus for A320neo Family aircraft, to secure delivery positions on the A321XLR from FY2024 onwards. The carrier will order up to 36 A321XLRs, converting 26 existing orders for A321neos and adding another 10 orders. This takes the group's orders for A320neo Family aircraft from 99 to 109. Qantas stated the order includes significant flexibility for the Qantas Group to make adjustments to delivery schedules depending on market conditions. The announcement was made at the 2019 Paris Air Show. Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said the aircraft will be capable of operating routes such as "Cairns-Tokyo or Melbourne-Singapore, which existing narrowbodies can't" and this "changes the economics of lots of potential routes into Asia to make them not just physically possible but financially attractive. A decision on "which parts of the Group will use these aircraft" will be made closer to deliveries, "but there is plenty of potential across Qantas and Jetstar" said Mr Joyce. As announced in early 2018, the first deliveries from the Qantas Group's A320 family order will begin with 18 A321LR aircraft for Jetstar, arriving between mid 2020 and mid 2022. These will operate a mix of domestic and international routes. [more - original PR]