Qantas’ 787-10 New Era

As Qantas readies for the arrival of its first high-capacity variant of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, the 787-10, exciting plans are in the works.

Speaking with Executive Traveller, Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace discussed the future of its seating on the fleet as it powers through renewal efforts.

With the 787-9 and, soon, the 787-10 featuring, the business has many key decisions to make concerning the interior of its planes, as the arrival of the A350-1000ULR aims to take a step forward with the onboard product.

Wallace said that as the delivery of the 787-10s inches closer, this has become a greater focus within the business, providing another chance to study the business-class cabin. This opportunity allows the airline to explore fundamentally different possibilities.

These comments come as factory-fresh 787-9 Dreamliners, which are expected to hold the same seating and layout as their older, already in-service jets. This type of move has many positives for the airline itself.

For example, with greater continuity across the 787 fleet, Qantas can achieve the operational flexibility it desires, notably by switching aircraft where required, thanks to the similar design and harmonious passenger experience.

It’s not as simple either with a new product away from the sheer investment, but also through certification for safety processes, as is totally now visible with Lufthansa’s woes, where its new business class cabin is being blocked due to the lack of approval for the seats to be sold, limiting revenue across its highest cabin class on new aircraft.

Qantas’ Boeing 787 fleet now consists of 14 787-9 jets, averaging 6.8 years old, with the latest batch arriving heavily delayed due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the upcoming units of the business are expanding its long-haul fleet operations.

Qantas’Order For The 787-10

Qantas’ order for the Boeing 787-10 came in August 2023 and was not exclusive to this model, with a commitment to four additional 787-9s to improve the widebody fleet.

The deal included eight of the 787-10s, a long-rumoured addition to the airline’s operations awaiting formal confirmation, with the new batch expected to begin deliveries from FY27.

With the Airbus A350 also ordered, whether for Project Sunrise operations or to eventually replace the A380-800, this and the 787 are expected to help reshape how the airline conducts widebody operations moving into the 2030s and beyond.

Qantas has specifically selected the 787-10 with the intention of this replacing the Airbus A330 series. This is a workhorse which has featured across some of the airline’s most in-demand domestic services, and also at times across the international network too.

The 787-10 deal also at the time, ended any prospect of a contract coming for the A330neo, which was also being reported to be in the discussion, thus the natural replacement to the A330ceo, but would, if ordered, have added another fleet type to the airline’s operation and complexity as a result.

All these commitments to new aircraft, especially widebody aircraft, represent a critical phase of the Australian flag carrier’s renewal efforts, with a focus on improving operational efficiency and removing older models.

The 787s arrival back in the 2010s represented the first phase of that. Still, now in the back half of this decade, it’s certainly expected to see its importance rise as investments begin to be delivered to airlines’ operations, from the A220 and A321XLR upwards to the 787-10 and the first A350-1000ULR.