Qantas plans major narrowbody, widebody plane orders in 2022

Qantas Airways expects to order more than 100 narrowbody and regional planes next year as well as widebodies capable of the world's longest commercial flights from Sydney to London, its CE said. Qantas plans to select the preferred supplier to replace its ageing fleet of 75 Boeing 737-800s and 20 717s in December, CEO Alan Joyce said in a virtual press briefing on the sidelines of the IATA annual meeting in Boston. "It is only once in a generation you go through a major fleet renewal like this," he told reporters. "This is a really strategic decision for our future." The orders would be worth billions of dollars and provide a boost to aircraft manufacturers that cut production during the pandemic at a time when many airlines, including Qantas, postponed deliveries due to lower demand. Qantas will place a firm order for the planes by mid-2022, with deliveries expected from late 2023 to 2034, Joyce added. The options under consideration include the Boeing 737 MAX, Airbus A320neo family, the A220 and Embraer E-Jet E2 family, Qantas said. The airline said the new planes would reduce fuel burn and carbon emissions by around 15% and it would also work with the manufacturers on accelerating the use of sustainable aviation fuel in a bid to meet a target of net zero emissions by 2050.<br/>