Qantas says that its Jetstar subsidiary will now receive half of the Boeing 787 Dreamliners the airline group has ordered, raising the prospect that the budget carrier will operate the majority of the Qantas Group’s new international routes over coming years.
Qantas made the statement in clarifying a presentation made by group executive operations Qantas Airlines Lyell Strambi which showed that Qantas will operate 25 787s over coming years. Given the airline has ordered 50 aircraft, many analysts questioned whether it was an indication that the Qantas Group had reduced its orders, but the airline has since clarified that Jetstar will operate 25 787-9s, up from the 15 originally planned.
The additional aircraft appear to signal that Jetstar will take a significant role in the Qantas Group’s international network. The budget carrier is currently due to take delivery of its first 787-9s in 2013, which are expected to see it launch services to Europe.
