Qantas Freight will replace the two Boeing 747-400 Freighters it wet-leases from Atlas Air with larger 747-8Fs that will still be operated by the US carrier.
The dedicated freighters primarily operate on services from Australia to China and onwards to the USA, which Qantas has been operating for 15 years.
The upgrade to the newer jets will allow Qantas to offer an additional seven pallets, representing a 20% increase in capacity over the 747-400Fs.
“We are seeing strong growth in demand driven by e-commerce, fresh produce, electronics and mining equipment across our international freight network,” says Qantas domestic and freight chief executive Andrew David.
“The newer, more efficient Boeing 747-8F will allow us to provide a better service for our customers with additional freight capacity and even greater reliability for time-sensitive shipments.”
Cirium schedules data shows that the 747-400s operated by Atlas on Qantas’s behalf operate on fly from Sydney to Shanghai, then onwards to Anchorage and to mainland US destinations from there.
Other cities served by 747 freighters include Chongqing, Honolulu, Bangkok and Jakarta.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
