QANTAS CHOOSES AIRBUS OVER BOEING TO RENEW ITS FLEET
(Reuters) – Qantas Airways said on Wednesday it had chosen Airbus as the preferred supplier for its domestic fleet renewal, moving away from Boeing for which it is a major blow.
The Australian airline said it had committed to procure twenty A321XLRs and twenty A220s from Airbus, and also have purchase options for 94 additional aircraft. It is now up to the board of directors to give its approval, expected by next June.
Confirming a deal first reported by Bloomberg, Qantas said in a statement that deliveries would begin in mid-2023 and span ten years to renew an aging fleet of 75 737s and 20 Boeing 717s.
(Reporting Tim Hepher, Eric M. Johnson and Jamie Freed; French version Jean Terzian)