Qantas has announced an order for 20 additional Airbus A321XLR aircraft, 16 of which will feature lie-flat Business Class seats, as the airline group continues to expand its fleet.
The airline said it will also award 25,000 non-executive employees $1,000 worth of shares each under a new share plan.
Operationally, Qantas and its low-cost arm Jetstar delivered their best on-time performance since 2019, with Qantas ranked as the most punctual major domestic airline for the 2025 financial year.
The group’s dual-brand strategy drove strong financial results, with Qantas Domestic reporting underlying earnings of $1.52bn, up 12% year-on-year, helped by higher seat factors, increased business travel and improved yields.
Charter revenue also grew 9%, supported by the arrival of five new Airbus A319s serving the resources sector in Western Australia.
QantasLink, the group’s regional carrier, received five new Airbus A220s, which are expected to deliver significant efficiency gains, while older Q200 and Q300 turboprops were fully retired.
The airline’s first A321XLRs will enter service on its domestic network in September, making Qantas the first Asia-Pacific airline to operate the aircraft type.
Meanwhile, Jetstar carried a record 16 million domestic passengers, helping the low-cost airline boost underlying earnings by 55%.
Growth was driven by strong demand, a 2% increase in seat factor, and lower fuel prices.
Passengers also benefited from newer aircraft, offering inflight streaming and more onboard storage.
