Qantas Freight will lease two Boeing 747-8 Freighters, offering greater capacity and replacing older 747-400Fs.
The 747-8Fs are expected to enter service in July 2019, carrying cargo between 10 key hubs in Australia, China and the US.
They will replace the two 747-400Fs operated by on Qantas’ behalf by Atlas Air and will be painted in Atlas Air livery.
Andrew David, CEO of Qantas Domestic and Freight says the new aircraft will better meet customer demand for freight capacity around the world.
He says: “We are seeing strong growth in demand driven by e-commerce, fresh produce, electronics and mining equipment across our international freight network. The newer, more efficient Boeing 747-8F will allow us to provide a better service for our customers with additional freight capacity and even greater reliability for time-sensitive shipments.”
David adds: “Our investment in wet-leasing these aircraft gives us a more competitive offering in the Australia-China-US freight markets and more operational efficiency.”