Australian Airline Expands Cargo Services to Hong Kong and New Zealand with New Airbus Aircraft
Qantas has enhanced its cargo operations to New Zealand and Hong Kong with the addition of a sixth Airbus A321 converted freighter, marking a transition to an all-Airbus cargo fleet.
The airline now offers three weekly flights to Hong Kong using an A330-200 retrofitted for cargo, including a newly introduced weekly service from Perth. This new route accommodates shipments from Western Australia and complements the existing twice-weekly service connecting Sydney and Hong Kong, as outlined in the updated flight schedule released last week.
In terms of inter-country shipping, Qantas provides five weekly services from Sydney to Christchurch via Auckland, expanding options for the movement of goods between Australia and New Zealand. Four of these flights are operated with standard-size A321s, including a recently added weekend service. Additionally, for customers with larger shipments, Qantas offers a weekly service on the same route utilizing an A330.
Beginning Tuesday, Qantas Freight will also start servicing Melbourne as part of its regional Oceania freighter route, enhancing import/export capabilities from southern Australia to New Zealand. The introduction of the A321 cargo aircraft allows Qantas to assign the A330 to the Hong Kong route, as explained by spokesman Oliver Craven-McLeay.
“Demand for freight services is increasing, particularly in Asia. We’re exploring various options to extend the A330 freighter schedule to additional Asian destinations to meet current and future demand,” said Igor Kwiatkowski, executive manager for Qantas Freight, in a press release. “These adjustments provide freight customers in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia with more opportunities through increased service frequency and the enhanced capacity of our Airbus fleet.”
This year, Qantas phased out its older Boeing cargo jets in favor of a newer Airbus fleet. The final Boeing 767-300 cargo aircraft completed its last flight with Qantas Freight in May, and the last Boeing 737 converted freighter was retired in August, as confirmed by Craven-McLeay. Previously, the airline operated five cargo aircraft in the Boeing 737-300/400 series.
In October 2020, Qantas deployed the world’s first A321 passenger-to-freighter aircraft. The airline aims to expand its A321 fleet to a total of 12 units within the next few years to effectively manage the growing demand for e-commerce shipments. Some of these aircraft are operated under contract for Australia Post.
The fleet includes two A330-200 freighters, which were originally Qantas passenger jets modified last year to transport cargo containers.
