Qantas will become the first operator of the Airbus A321P2F converted freighter under an expanded partnership with Australia Post.
The Oneworld carrier says it will introduce up to three A321P2F jets from October 2020, which will offer an additional 9t payload over its existing Boeing 737-300Fs that are used on domestic freight services.
Qantas group chief executive Alan Joyce says that moving to higher-capacity freighter jets has been driven by higher demand for next day deliveries, primarily due to the continued growth of e-commerce in Australia.
“Consumer preferences and expectations are rapidly changing and together with Australia Post we’re responding by growing our dedicated freighter fleet to provide a better experience for consumers and businesses,” he adds.
Cirium's Fleets Analyzer shows that Qantas owns two conventional A321s that are operated by Jetstar and they appear to be likely candidates for the passenger-to-freighter conversion programme.
The A321P2F programme is being developed by Airbus and ST Engineering Aerospace through their EFW joint venture.
Qantas says that its seven-year agreement with Australia Post is valued at over A$1 billion ($679 million) and includes priority access to freight capacity on flights operated by the Qantas group and its global partners.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
