Qantas has added 20 A321XLR aircraft to its existing Airbus order, 16 of which will feature a new configuration with lie-flat business seats and seat back entertainment screens throughout the cabin.
The Australian carrier said the new configuration A321XLRs will serve short and medium-haul international routes, as well as transcontinental services to and from Perth.
Delivery of the new aircraft is expected from 2028, taking the airline’s total A321XLR order to 48 aircraft amid ongoing fleet renewal plans.
The announcement comes after the carrier on Thursday (28 August) posted a 15 per cent year-on-year increase in underlying pre-tax profit to AU$2.39 billion (€1.3 billion) for the 12 months to 30 June 2025.
Earnings were boosted by “strong demand across all market segments”, with Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson noting demand for domestic business travel was close pre-pandemic levels.
The carrier’s international capacity increased 6 per cent year on year, while revenue per available seat kilometres “turned positive” in the fourth quarter, the airline said. Demand for premium cabins across its international network continued into the year’s second half, with load factors across first, business and premium economy increasing by 2 percentage points.
Qantas anticipates a favourable outlook for the 2026 financial year, projecting domestic revenue growth of up to 5 per cent and international revenue growth of up to 3 per cent within the next six months.
“Our strong financial performance is enabling significant investment in new aircraft and customer initiatives, helping deliver better operational performance and customer satisfaction,” Hudson added.
The group – which includes low-cost subsidiary Jetstar – has a total firm purchase order of 214 aircraft from manufactures Airbus and Boeing. The airline’s first Project Sunrise ultra-long haul A350-1000ULR aircraft – which will operate non-stop flights between London and Sydney – will move to Airbus’ final assembly line in October this year, with deliveries from October 2026, according to Qantas.