SYDNEY -Australia’s Qantas Airways stated on Monday it could add six Airbus SE A321 transformed freighters to its home fleet to switch 5 ageing Boeing Co 737s and develop capability to fulfill a surge in demand from on-line purchasing.
The A321 freighters shall be sourced from the open market and transformed from carrying passengers to cargo topic to business negotiations, the airline stated, including the planes have been anticipated to reach between early 2024 and mid-2026.
The freighters will be part of one other three A321s already within the airline’s home cargo fleet and develop carrying capability given the A321s can carry 23 tonnes of cargo, 9 tonnes greater than the 737s.
Qantas Chief Government Alan Joyce stated the airline’s freight division, which reported document first-half earnings, was one of many group’s stand out performers through the pandemic as Australians shifted to on-line purchasing.
“Whereas a few of that shift is momentary, demand stays well-above pre-pandemic ranges even with the lifting of just about all COVID-related restrictions,” he stated in an announcement.
Singapore Applied sciences Engineering Ltd, a serious converter of A321 passenger planes to freighters, stated final week that conversion demand remained robust, with orders for the mannequin booked by 2025.
The scarcity of passenger aircraft cargo-carrying capability through the pandemic despatched freight charges hovering, delayed retirements of older fashions like MD-11s and had lessors dashing to transform older undesirable passenger planes into carrying freight.
Nevertheless, the robust cargo demand that helped passenger-deprived airways keep afloat through the pandemic is exhibiting indicators of softening amid rising financial uncertainty, partly, fuelled by excessive inflation.
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