QANTAS: Project Fysh – Ordering 24 new aircraft, A350s and B787-9s and 10s

There has been much speculation recently about what aircraft Qantas will order to replace its ageing Airbus A330s. We now have the answer, and it’s ‘Project Fysh’. That joins the ‘Project Sunrise’ purchase of A350-1000s for its direct east coast to Europe and the Americas fleet. Project Winton which is its renewal project for the Qantas domestic fleet of Airbus A320s, A220s.

Qantas has placed a firm order for 12 Airbus A350s and 12 Boeing 787s for delivery starting in the financial year 2027 and onwards into the next decade.

“These are generational decisions for this company. The aircraft will arrive over a decade or more and they’ll be part of the fleet for 20 years. They’ll unlock new routes and better travel experiences for customers, and new jobs and promotions for our people.”

Alan Joyce., Qantas Group CEO

Composition of the order

Project Fysh is named after one of the founders of Qantas, Sir Hudson Fysh, who co-founded the airline and was Managing Director when it started international flying in 1935. The project will replace the A330 fleet that currently services mainly Asia and the USA, and occasionally domestic routes, most notably the east to west coast routes to Perth.

Qantas is ordering 4 x B787-9 aircraft to top up its current fleet of 14. It has ordered 8 x 787-10 aircraft with a shorter range but higher capacity. Both aircraft will be used as replacements for the A330s and associated routes and provide capacity for potential new destinations. Both Boeing aircraft will be using the General Electric GEnix engines. That will make those planes quieter than the A330s and about 20%-25% more efficient.

The airline also adds to its A350 fleet with a firm order of 12 x Airbus A350-1000s, with delivery starting in the Financial Year 2028. Rolls Royce Trent XWB-97 engines will power the A350s.

These orders with lots of flexibility in delivery and order specifics, will complete the transition from the A330s and A380s over the next decade as part of Project Fysh.

In other fleet news

Qantas also gives an update on some of its other aircraft orders, as well as announcing Project Fysh.

Delivery of the initial two A220s will happen this year for use by QantasLink. Due to supply chain issues, there will be a four-month delay in the delivery of the remainder.

Qantas is expecting the first of seven mid-life A320s (is this code for second-hand?) will arrive at the end of December 2023 for use in their resources sector flying and for Jetstar Asia.

22 former wet-leased Alliance Airlines E-190s will move over to Qantas by December 2023.

Qantas will have converted two more A321 into freighters which are expected to arrive by the end of December 2023.

For Jetstar, there are 18 A321LRs still expected to join the fleet by the end of 2024, with 20 aircraft made up of a combination of A321LRs, and A321XLRs to arrive in 2029.

Those 12 Project Sunrise Airbus A350-1000 ULRs are now due to arrive in the Financial Year 2026. That appears to be a little later than previously forecast.

2PAXfly Takeout

Fleet renewal is good. Many would say that it is about time. What we don’t know yet is the reasoning for some of these decisions. For example, why not replace the A330s with like for updated like? Was it delivery slots, price, or suitability questions that contributed to the decisions?

… and new aircraft mean new interiors!