Qantas aircraft are now almost 15 years old on average – what happened? And does it matter?

Qantas has had its fair share of high-profile challenges in the last few years: industrial relations disputes, frequent delays and cancellations, a record $1.9b financial loss and luggage that goes missing with alarming frequency. But one challenge flying under the radar is its ageing fleet. Qantas says the average age of its planes is now 14.7 years, a figure that has increased significantly over the past 15 years. In 2006, the average age was just over eight years and before the pandemic it was just over 11 years. It’s also a figure that’s substantially higher than most of its competitors flying similar routes. Dr Ian Douglas from the University of New South Wales says there are a number of causes, including a pause on orders and deliveries during the pandemic, manufacturing delays and the secondary market for certain planes. “So [fleet age] has almost certainly increased over time. And that would have been a conscious decision about managing capital by the board,” he says. Douglas says differing philosophies between airlines influence their fleet choices. Operators may also choose to keep older planes for their lifetime simply because they know the plane and its maintenance history. Differing accounting rules across countries may also influence some airlines to turn over planes more frequently.<br/>