Qantas today confirmed that it will be accelerating the retirement of its Boeing 747 fleet to make way for more Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. In other words, the trusty jumbo jet and its extra-wide seat rows will soon be a nostalgic memory.
Qantas today announced an order for six additional Boeing 787-9s to fly on its international network. This brings its Dreamliner total to 14, all of which will be operational by 2020. The new order means that Qantas will be speeding up plans to retire its six remaining Boeing 747s.
The airline’s relationship with the 747 extends all the way back to 1967 when it placed its first order for four jumbo jets at a price of around $18.5 million each. The aircraft has been a fixture in Qantas’ fleet in various forms ever since.
The last Boeing 747 will leave the Qantas fleet in 2020 and be replaced with the smaller but more fuel-efficient 787-9s.
“This really is the end of one era and the start of another,” Joyce said in a statement. “…the 787 has better economics and a longer range, and it has already opened up new routes like Perth to London. With [our] larger fleet of Dreamliners, we’ll be looking at destinations in the Americas, Asia, South Africa and Europe.”
It’s the end of one era and the start of the next. https://t.co/8eJxPwmCzc pic.twitter.com/lJ4tkngrP0
— Qantas (@Qantas) May 1, 2018
[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2017/12/heres-a-closer-look-at-qantas-787-dreamliner-cabins/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2017/10/SAM4356-410×231.jpg” title=”Here’s A Closer Look At Qantas’ 787 Dreamliner Cabins” excerpt=”This week, Qantas’ first 787-9 Dreamliner – dubbed ‘Great Southern Land’ – embarked on its first commercial flight from Melbourne to LA direct. We were lucky enough to get a sneak peek of the Business, Premium Economy and Economy seats before its maiden voyage. Here are the photos!”]
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