Qantas to add four midlife 737s to fleet for ‘bridging capacity’ as it awaits arrival of new aircraft

Qantas will buy four ‘midlife’ 737-800s to provide bridging capacity as it pays the price for delays in new aircraft orders under previous CEO Alan Joyce.

Qantas will add four “midlife” Boeing 737-800s to its fleet by the end of the year to help boost capacity and counter delays in the arrival of new Airbus A321XLRs.

The first of the extra-long range narrowbodies is due to arrive in Sydney next Wednesday, about three months later than expected, with three more due by year’s end.

Seating up to 200 passengers in a two-cabin format, the A321XLR is destined to be the “backbone” of Qantas’s domestic fleet, complementing its present 737s.

Qantas Domestic chief executive Markus Svensson said in a note to staff the XLR would make just one stop in Bangkok en route to Sydney from Hamburg, “subject to any further unexpected events in the Middle East”.

“The journey home will give us a glimpse of what these incredible aircraft are capable of,” he said.

“It wasn’t that long ago that one-stop flights between Australia and Europe were the domain of giant four-engine aircraft like the Boeing 747, which demonstrates just what a technological leap forward these aircraft are.”

It’s the first of 28 A321XLRs Qantas has on order from Airbus, and Mr Svensson said the airline would be the first in Asia-Pacific to fly the aircraft.

Several airlines in Europe and the US already operate the XLR, including Iberia, Wizz Air, Aer Lingus, United and American.

Inside the new Qantas A321XLR.

Mr Svensson’s memo revealed the four midlife 737s acquired from a leasing company that will arrive later this year.

“These aircraft will help us meet the demand we are seeing and provide some bridging capacity given the delivery delays we’ve experienced since our original narrowbody order was placed three years ago,” he said.

“Before joining the fleet the four 737s will undergo some minor cabin modifications, and are intended to be some of the first aircraft to receive all-new interiors as part of our cabin refurbishment program.”

Qantas has previously announced plans to refit 42 of its newer 737s with the same interior as new A321XLRs as part of a “fleet harmonisation” strategy.

Chief executive Vanessa Hudson has said passengers would not know the difference whether they were boarding an older 737-800 as opposed to a new XLR.

Mr Svensson said the investments in the 737 fleet along with the arrival of the A321XLR “signalled the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Qantas”.

“(Together) they will significantly elevate the experience we offer our customers,” he said.

Qantas has faced widespread criticism for its ageing fleet, after a “pause” in new aircraft orders under former CEO Alan Joyce.

Orders for Airbus A220s, A321XLRs and A350-1000s were lodged in 2021, about 16 years after new Boeing 787s were ordered by former chief executive Geoff Dixon.

It will still be another 18 months before new A350-1000s start to arrive ahead of the launch of Project Sunrise flights between Sydney and London or New York.

Qantas has two dozen A350s on order, and another 12 787s, which are expected to arrive over the next five to ten years, replacing A330s and eventually A380s.

Last year, Ms Hudson said airlines that did not stay on top of fleet renewal and maintain balance sheet strength were the most vulnerable to “shocks” such as Covid-19 and other black swan events.

Originally published as Qantas to add four midlife 737s to fleet for ‘bridging capacity’ as it awaits arrival of new aircraft