Qantas Airbus A350-1000 News

Qantas has struck a multi-billion dollar agreement with Perth Airport to invest billions into updating and constructing new infrastructure.

The significant expansion will align with Qantas’ long-standing view of utilising Perth as a gateway to global markets within reach.

Moreover, the 12-year agreement significantly affects the upcoming Project Sunrise endeavour and Airbus A350-1000 operation at Qantas.

Qantas says it will add more destinations from Perth and use its state-of-the-art Airbus A350-1000 alongside other aircraft to boost its connectivity and capacity.

Deploying the Airbus A350-1000 from Perth represents a shift in Project Sunrise’s initial strategy. Furthermore, it highlights how, with more aircraft, the airline will have fresh opportunities to deploy the ultra-long-range jet from more Australian cities.

Moreover, the Perth Airport CEO has highlighted that this is Western Australia’s largest-ever private investment. The investment is described as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the airport, which will completely change over the next decade.

The Timeline For Qantas And Perth Airport

Thanks to the investment, Qantas and Perth Airport provided a significant overview of their collaborative efforts until 2031.

Qantas says its first A321XLR will arrive in early 2025. They’ll be deployed on what are known as trunk routes across the domestic network. Perth will also acquire some A321XLRs.

The carrier has also identified Johannesburg as a market where it would like to restart flights from Perth, providing competition to the recently returned South African Airways. Furthermore, Qantas has highlighted it’ll look to restart Auckland to Perth flights; however, this is subject to several factors.

Lastly in 2025, construction is expected to commence on the all-important parallel runway.

By 2026, the airline expects to deploy its A350-1000 from Perth to London. While the carrier forecasts the first A350-1000 delivery in 2025, the EIS will likely slip once crew training occurs. As more long-haul Airbus aircraft arrive, the airline believes it can work more on deploying the type to more markets, even from Perth.

2026 will represent another important year for the narrowbody fleet as more A321LRs and A321XLRs arrive in the Qantas Group ops and are deployed to more markets from Perth and elsewhere.

In 2027, Qantas says its A330 fleet will begin being replaced by the 787 and A350. As a result, Perth will have more opportunities and greater efficiency.

Inside Perth Airport, work will continue on new terminals, a new hotel, and other important infrastructure throughout the year, with building works set to commence on the Airport Central Terminal.

The parallel runway is expected to open in 2028, and the carrier says it’ll also consider constructing a new engineering hangar.

By 2031, the terminal build is expected to be completed, and the Qantas Group, including that of Qantas and Jetstar, will move their domestic and international operations.