Qantas Adding More Q400s To Fleet

Qantas Group has announced plans to invest in its turboprop fleet for operation at QantasLink with the commitment to additional aircraft.

As part of the latest deal, QantasLink will acquire 14 mid-life Dash 8-400 or Q400 turboprop aircraft to bolster its regional network across Australia.

These new Q400s will seat 78 people, four more than the existing Q400s, configured to seat 74 people.

Furthermore, as part of the latest purchase, Qantas has announced plans to gradually remove the much smaller Q200 and Q300 turboprop aircraft from the fleet.

The considerable capacity jump will be a key takeaway for Qantas Group from this change. The Q200s only seat 36 passengers, while the Q300s seat 50. As a result, once the company moves solely to Q400s, its capacity across regional markets will increase.

Per fleet data, the airline has 3 Dash 8-200s and 16 Dash 8-300s, with some of these units listed as parked. These two aircraft average 28.2 and 21.8 years, respectively, and are undoubtedly getting on in age.

The company already has 31 Dash 8-400s, the youngest among the Dash 8 fleet at 15 years on average. As Qantas looks to bring down the average age of its fleet adjustments, these will be important for the short to medium term as a solution.

By the conclusion of the investment, Qantas says its Q400 fleet will reach 45 aircraft. The consolidation into three sub-fleets to a single one will have many positive ramifications for the business. Because of this decision, Qantas expects lower maintenance costs, scale benefits, and greater long-term efficiency.

While this isn’t a new aircraft purchase, such commitments can be hugely important for a company like Qantas to improve its business.

Qantas Group has emphasised improving its fleet in the last few years, announcing plans to phase out old aircraft for more fuel-efficient types. However, where new aircraft may not be applicable, the Group has looked to add more mid-life aircraft, whether the Dash 8s or ageing Airbus single-aisle jets.

The turboprop’s role in the Qantas fleet is hugely important. It carries more than 3.5 million customers annually across more than 50 destinations in regional Australia. It says it will if Qantas can improve comfort levels and the overall experience.