In yet another show of its commitment to its largest fleet renewal in history, Qantas has today announced an order for an additional 20 Airbus A321XLR aircraft. The A321XLR (Extra Long Range) will replace the 737-800 fleet, providing increased capacity and open up a wider range of direct domestic and short-haul international routes.

In great news for the customer, 16 of the 20 additional A321XLRs will be configured with lie-flat Business seats and seat back entertainment screens to serve longer routes, including transcontinental services to and from Perth, and short and medium haul international routes.

In Economy, the new A321XLRs will deliver a noticeably improved experience compared to Qantas’ current 737-800s. While maintaining the same 30-inch seat pitch, the A321XLR offers wider 17.6-inch seats with enhanced cushioning for extra comfort. Each seat features a leather six-way adjustable headrest, dual USB-A and USB-C charging ports, and a drop-down tablet holder to make the most of fast, free Wi-Fi and inflight entertainment. Passengers will also benefit from an adjustable meal table, making the overall experience more spacious, connected, and comfortable than the 737s they replace.

Qantas currently have a fleet of 76 Boeing 737-800s with an average age of 17.3 years at the time of this publication.

The extended range of up to 8,700 kilometres is more than 3,000 kilometres further than the Boeing 737 it replaces and will enable Qantas to launch direct flights to destinations across South East Asia and the Pacific Islands that are not currently viable.

Qantas’ first two A321XLRs, which are configured for domestic and short haul international flying, are expected to start operating commercial flights in mid-September, making Qantas the first airline in the Asia Pacific to operate the aircraft type. The aircraft will initially operate on Sydney-Melbourne and Sydney-Perth and be progressively rolled out on other routes.

Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said the expansion of the A321XLR fleet represented a significant step in the Group’s fleet renewal program.

“These additional A321XLRs will accelerate the retirement of our 737 fleet and open up new opportunities for domestic and international travel, allowing us to reach destinations that aren’t possible with our current narrowbody fleet.

“Not only will the A321XLRs help us serve the corporate market travelling between Perth and the east coast of Australia, they will also allow us to expand flying on existing routes into South East Asia and open up new possibilities like Perth-India and Adelaide-Singapore.

“The lie-flat Business seats, seat back screens and fast and free Wi-Fi will provide a consistent premium experience for our customers who fly domestically with Qantas and connect onto our long haul services.

Fleet Overview

The Group’s total firm aircraft order now stands at 214 aircraft, with 32 delivered as at June 30, representing a multi-billion dollar investment in renewing and growing Qantas and Jetstar’s fleet. In addition to these firm orders, the Group has additional purchase right options with Airbus and Boeing which provide flexibility for future growth.

The airline took delivery of 17 new aircraft in FY25. This increases to 20 new aircraft arriving this financial year and 29 in FY27, including 36 for Qantas, 10 for Jetstar and 3 for Qantas Freight.

The first Project Sunrise A350-1000ULR will move to Airbus’ final assembly line in October this year, with deliveries commencing from October 2026