Qantas has confirmed an order for a further 20 Airbus A321XLR aircraft, 16 of which will be fitted with lie-flat Business seats.
This will be the first time the airline has introduced lie-flat seating on its narrowbody fleet. The move will support longer domestic routes, such as transcontinental services to and from Perth, as well as short and medium-haul international flights.
The new aircraft form part of the Qantas Group’s ongoing fleet renewal programme, with deliveries due to begin in 2028. This order increases Qantas’ total commitment for the A321XLR to 48 aircraft.
The A321XLR has a range of up to 8,700 kilometres, which is more than 3,000 kilometres greater than the Boeing 737 it will replace. This additional range is expected to enable direct flights to destinations across South-East Asia and the Pacific Islands that are currently not served by Qantas’ narrowbody aircraft.
Qantas will become the first airline in the Asia-Pacific region to operate the A321XLR. The first two aircraft, configured for domestic and short-haul international operations, are scheduled to enter service in mid-September 2025. They will initially be deployed on routes such as Sydney–Melbourne and Sydney–Perth before being extended to further services. Qantas plans to have seven A321XLRs in operation by the end of the current financial year.
Jetstar, the Qantas Group’s low-cost subsidiary, is due to begin receiving its A321XLRs from 2027. These aircraft will feature a two-class cabin to support international operations.
Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said:Investing in new aircraft is one of the most significant ways that we can provide our customers with a better flying experience, and these billion-dollar investments are possible because of our continued strong financial performance.
These additional A321XLRs will accelerate the retirement of our 737 fleet and open up new opportunities for domestic and international travel, allowing us to reach destinations that aren’t possible with our current narrowbody fleet. Not only will the A321XLRs help us serve the corporate market travelling between Perth and the east coast of Australia, they will also allow us to expand flying on existing routes into South East Asia and open up new possibilities like Perth-India and Adelaide-Singapore.
The lie-flat Business seats, seat back screens and fast and free Wi-Fi will provide a consistent premium experience for our customers who fly domestically with Qantas and connect onto our long haul services.
All of the next generation aircraft joining our fleet benefit from longer range, more comfort, less noise, better economics and will improve how people travel around Australia and overseas. It also means we’re recruiting and training more pilots, cabin crew and engineers, creating opportunities for our people.
The Qantas Group now holds firm orders for 214 aircraft, representing a multi-billion-dollar investment in fleet renewal across Qantas, Jetstar and Qantas Freight.
