Qantas wants its aircraft of choice to be able to fly the anticipated nonstop services from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to London at a full passenger load, the airline’s CEO Alan Joyce said at the Singapore Air Show Aviation Leadership Summit (SAALS).
The airline has tasked both Airbus and Boeing to make aircraft available for the service it plans to introduce around 2022. So far the manufacturers have offer aircraft that can fly the 21-hour northbound sector, but not at a full passenger load. Boeing is pitching the 777-8X for the flights whereas Airbus is offering the A350-900ULR (ultra-long-range).
Qantas is one of the airlines most interested in rebuilding an ultra-long-haul network introducing what will be the world’s third-longest route from Perth to London next month using Boeing 787-9s. The carrier is also studying a Melbourne-Dallas service, likely also based on the 787-9. It already flies the A380 from Sydney to Dallas and would likely move its largest aircraft off the route and replace it with a smaller model should it also enter the Melbourne-Dallas market, Joyce said on the sidelines of the event.
Airbus will deliver the first A350-900ULR later this year to Singapore Airlines, which will use the aircraft between Singapore and Los Angeles as well as New York. Chicago-based United Airlines is already flying the Los Angeles-Singapore route using 787-9s.
“We want both manufacturers to have an aircraft that is capable of doing [Sydney-London],” Joyce said. “If that’s the case we’ll do an RFP [request for proposals] next year.” For a daily London service, Qantas will need three aircraft, he added.
Joyce said the ultra-long-haul flights will still make economic sense even if fuel prices continue to rise. He believes that the newly developed or new versions of twin aircraft such as the A350 or the 777-8X will ensure profits the routes will remain profitable. Joyce said Qantas is using 5% less fuel on two 787s flying to London than when using one A380.
Jens Flottau, jens.flottau@aviationweek.com
