Qantas Freight and Australia Post have marked the next phase of growth in their long-standing partnership with the arrival of the first of three additional Airbus A321 Passenger-to-Freighter (A321P2F) aircraft, helping meet growing demand for fast and reliable parcel deliveries across Australia.
The delivery of the three aircraft will add up to 20% capacity to the Qantas operated dedicated freighter network, increasing the capability to reliably uplift up to 20,000 Australia Post and StarTrack parcels on each and every flight, helping keep customers, businesses and communities connected.
Arriving just weeks before Black Friday sales and the peak Christmas delivery season, the first aircraft will help Australia Post and Qantas Freight keep pace with increased demand as millions of Australians shop online. The new freighters will support overnight and next-day deliveries across the country and will service all Qantas Freight domestic terminals including the new 24-hour terminal at Western Sydney International (WSI) Airport, which commenced operations in July. The additional two A321P2F freighters are scheduled to join the Qantas Freight fleet by March 2027.
The larger A321P2F aircraft can carry more freight per flight than the smaller BAE 146-300 freighters they replace, helping support growing parcel volumes, reduce emissions and improving network efficiency across Australia.
The delivery comes just months after Qantas Freight and Australia Post extended their partnership for another 10 years, continuing a relationship that began in 1922 when Qantas carried 106 letters on its inaugural commercial flight. The renewed agreement will support the movement of more than 75 million parcels and other freight items annually across Australia and overseas.
Qantas Freight Executive Manager Igor Kwiatkowski said:
“Australia’s freight network plays a critical role in connecting businesses and communities across the country. This investment will help us support Australia Post and respond more effectively as demand for fast overnight deliveries continues to grow.”
Australia Post General Manager Linehaul Fleet and Special Services Mark Davies said:
“Whether it’s a customer making a purchase from a Black Friday sale or a small business sending orders across the country, Australians expect fast and reliable delivery.
“These new aircraft will help us move more parcels across our network and provide additional capacity at a time when online shopping continues to grow and major retail events are driving record parcel volumes.
“Together with Qantas, we’re investing in the infrastructure that keeps Australia connected. The addition of these aircraft, alongside the opening of Western Sydney International Airport’s 24-hour freight terminal, will help strengthen the resilience and capacity of our network for years to come.”
