Qantas has announced a cabin upgrade programme for more than half of its Boeing 737-800s, as part of wider fleet renewal plans that will also see the return to service of the airline’s last pair of stored Airbus A380s.
The airline says 42 of its fleet of 75 737s will undergo a cabin overhaul, which will see new seats in business and economy classes, as well as larger overhead storage compartments.
The 737s with refreshed cabins will enter service in 2027 and will be deployed across its domestic and short-haul networks.
The announcement – made alongside the release of its half-year financial results – comes as the airline prepares to take delivery of its first A321XLR which will eventually replace the 737s. The first A321XLR (to be registered VH-OGA) will be delivered in June, says Qantas, two months later than previously disclosed.
Still, Qantas notes that the 42 737s picked for the cabin overhaul are “scheduled to leave the Qantas fleet towards the end” of its ongoing fleet renewal programme.
“As we bring more new aircraft into our fleet, we are also making our existing aircraft look and feel like new,” adds Qantas chief Vanessa Hudson.
Qantas Group, which also comprises low-cost operator Jetstar, received 11 new aircraft in the six months ended 31 December 2024, including more A220s and A321LRs, which operate for Jetstar.
Seven more narrowbody aircraft – including the first A321XLR – are expected to be delivered by end-June.
Qantas also expects its last two stored A380s to return to service by end-2025. The first A350-1000 for ultra-long-haul Project Sunrise flights will enter final assembly in September this year and be delivered by the second half of 2026.
Also set to kick off this year are economy cabin upgrades for 10 Qantas A330-200s, with the first to be inducted mid-2025. The upgrades will see the installation of new economy seats – the same as those to be used on Project Sunrise flights.
Qantas Group improved its financial performance for the six months to 31 December 2024, reporting an 11% increase in underlying pre-tax profit to A$1.39 billion ($875 million).
This was on the back of a 9% rise in revenue to A$12.1 billion. Passenger volume across the two airline brands was up 8.8%, to 28.3 million, with traffic up 12.7%, outpacing a 10.3% growth in capacity.
