The sun is rising for Qantas

The sun is rising for Qantas. Last week, Qantas CEO, Alan Joyce, has announced its “Project Sunrise”. This is a major step for the Australian flag carrier, but it is also a major step for aviation. The airline is going through a major renovation of its fleet that will bring comfort, environment and innovation to the airline.

Project Sunrise

This project will see the sun shining for millions of travellers every year. According to a Press Release published by the airline, last week, Qantas has made important decisions regarding its fleet.  The airline will order 12 new Airbus A350-1000s that have the capability to fly non-stop from Australia to Europe or USA.

The 12 aircraft are expected to start arriving in 2025 and the order will be completed by 2028. The first flight is expected to take off from Sydney, at the end of 2025.  Alan Joyce also mentioned that this project will be fuel neutral from day one.  The A350-1000 Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines are 25% more fuel-efficient than their predecessors.

Project Winton

Qantas is also renewing its domestic fleet.  The project is called Project Winton, in a tribute to the town Winton, where the airline was born 101 years ago. For this project, the airline will purchase 20 Airbus A321XLR and 20 A220-300 to be delivered over this decade. These aircraft will replace the existing Boeing 737 and 717. The deliveries are expected to start at the end of 2024.

These aircraft will carry Pratt & Whitney Turbo Fan Geared engines, PW1100G-JM and PW1500G to be more precise. These engines are also fuel-efficient and less noisy. According to Qantas’s press release, the A220-300 consumes 28% less fuel per passenger than the Boeing 717, whist the A321XLR consumes 17% less fuel per passenger than the Boeing 737. The noise will also be reduced by 50%.

Alan Joyce said these aircraft will become the backbone of the company’s domestic fleet for the next 20 years. This will also allow the company to increase their routes and their profitability. The new aircraft will be spread out through peak and off-peak times, meaning that there will be more direct routes at different times of the day. This will give customers choice. Qantas also says comfort is also a major feature of this project.

Qantas moves forward

There’s no doubt aviation has been tested in the last 2 years. Airlines suffered major losses and disruptions because of the pandemic. Now it is time to get back on their feet and start over again. We are also in a crucial time for our Planet, and again aviation is a part of it. Qantas is doing that, by having a fuel-efficient fleet, using SAF and reducing noise. It looks like they have also listened to people’s complaints, and one of the major complaints was regarding space and comfort on board. The airline is promising comfort, choice and environmentally friendly options, so it seems it’s going in the right way.