Qantas has confirmed it will receive its first Airbus A321XLR aircraft in April 2025, a delivery delay of a few months caused by ongoing supply chain issues.
The airline has also revealed the cabin configuration and products on the A321XLR, which will replace its Boeing 737s.
The new long-range narrowbodies will seat 197 passengers in a two-class configuration, with 20 in business and 177 in economy, according to a fact sheet issued alongside its annual results on 29 August.
The Oneworld carrier says the new A321XLRs will initially be deployed on its domestic network, replacing the 737-800s that form the backbone of the domestic fleet.
“The A321XLRs are expected to open up new direct Australian domestic and short-haul international routes as more enter the fleet,” it states.
Original plans called for Qantas to recieve the A321XLR in late-2024, but production delays at Airbus pushed this to the right. In 2025, Qantas expects to take a pair of A321XLRs, its fleet forecast shows.
In the lead-up to service entry, Qantas has also begun crew training, with more than 240 pilots expected to be trained on the A321XLR platform over the next three years.
The pilots will train on a new CAE 7000XR Series A320 simulator which will be based at its new Sydney flight training centre.
Qantas says more than 2,000 cabin crew will also undergo training for the new aircraft type.
DELIVERY FORECAST TRIMMED
In its fleet forecast, Qantas flagged “minor delivery delays” in the near term, as it undertakes its most significant fleet renewal project.
In the year ended 30 June, the airline group, which also comprises low-cost unit Jetstar, took delivery of 11 aircraft, three fewer than previously forecast.
In the current fiscal year, it expects to take delivery of 20 new aircraft, down one from previous estimates. In addition to the pair of A321XLRs, Qantas will take delivery of five A220s (one more than previous forecasts), with Jetstar taking eight A321neoLRs and five A320neos.
Qantas is also expected to return its last pair of stored A380s to service over the next 18 months.
The ongoing fleet renewal has seen Qantas incur around A$3.1 billion ($2.1 billion) in net capital expenditure for fiscal 2024, with the figure expected to swell to between A$3.7 and A$3.9 billion in the current financial year.
