Qantas was a unique airline to watch during the pandemic, given the extent to which borders were closed in Australia. While many international airlines (including US airlines) continued with cargo and limited passengers to Australia, Qantas more or less grounded its long-haul fleet and cut off its long-haul network. What’s the latest on it?
Qantas delays reloading international network until October 2021
In early January, from July 1, 2021, Qantas opened bookings for almost its entire international long-term flight network. It looked incredibly optimistic, given Australia’s stringent border requirements, but the company suggests it represents its expectation of when international travel would recover.
It is surprising that there has now been an update on this front, as noted by Executive Traveler – Qantas has now pushed back a majority of its international recharge until October 31, 2021. It is based on the government’s belief that all Australians can be vaccinated by October.
Some short-term international flights – such as those between Australia and New Zealand – are still resuming in the middle of the year, but that could change as well.
Qantas now wants to resume most international flights in October
Qantas’ fleet plan when resuming flights
It may not come as much of a surprise, but here’s the Qantas plan from now on for the long-term international flights:
- Qantas has three more Boeing 787-9s on order that are ready to be delivered, but the airline will not deliver them for now as there is no need for them; the 11 currently in the fleet are sufficient
- The three extra 787s are needed for flights to New York, Santiago and Osaka, so the flights will not be resumed, even if the rest of Qantas’ international schedule does.
- A380s will probably only be reactivated in 2024 based on when Qantas thinks demand will recover, but if it recovers earlier, the planes could be reactivated in three to six months
- It also means that Qantas will not offer first class for at least the next few years, as 787s will drive previous A380 routes, such as Dallas and Los Angeles to Sydney, Sydney to London via Singapore, and so on.
Qantas’ A380s are unlikely to fly for a few years
Bottom line
Qantas’ current plan is to resume most long-term flights from the end of October 2021. It’s based on the country hoping to vaccinate everyone by that time, and it’s a four-month delay over Qantas’ previous timeline to resume flights in early July.
Even when the airline resumes flights, the prospects are bleak. The airline has 11 Boeing 787s and 12 Airbus A380s, but is only planning to use the former aircraft for the next few years.
Personally, I think Qantas is a bit pessimistic here, and I think we’ll see the A380s reactivated earlier than expected. Qantas’ biggest markets are the US and the UK, and these are both countries where widespread vaccination should also be available in the coming months, and I think travel between these countries will return in full as soon as the borders reopen.
What do you make of Qantas’ latest plan to resume long-haul flights?