From the CEO
THERE IS a lot happening at Qantas at the moment. Our new Dreamliners are arriving soon, we’re rolling out wi-fi across our domestic fleet and working on some exciting changes to our international network.
It’s part of a strategy that will shape how Australians travel over the next decade, driven by new technology and what you’ve told us you want.
Our Dreamliners make possible direct routes such as Perth to London. It will be the first regular, nonstop air link between Australia and Europe and will reduce travel time by at least an hour.
We’re also extending our partnership with Emirates. Qantas customers have really benefited from the Emirates network since we joined forces in 2012. From Dubai, you can fly to 40 cities in Europe, earning or using Qantas Points along the way. It’s a network that no other airline can offer and it’s why the number of Qantas customers travelling this way has trebled since the start of the partnership.
Emirates offers almost 80 flights a week between Australia and Dubai and our partnership has matured to the point that Qantas no longer needs to operate its own aircraft through the Middle East. The reality is that our customers are very happy flying with Emirates through its Dubai hub as part of our alliance. It means we can send our Airbus A380s to Singapore instead, then onwards to London, expanding the choice available to Qantas customers.
It will also help us meet the huge demand for travel between Australia and Asia. Ten years ago, about a third of the Qantas Group’s capacity (which includes Jetstar) was dedicated to Asia. Now, it’s about half – and still growing.
So from March next year, you’ll be able to fly with Emirates to Dubai and onwards to Europe; fly direct from Perth to London with Qantas; and fly with Qantas to Singapore then on to London (subject to government and regulatory approvals). It’s the best of all worlds.
We’re also looking at where aircraft technology can take us next. We’ve asked Boeing and Airbus to help us extend the range of next-generation planes they’re developing, to give us the capability to fly direct from the east coast of Australia to London and New York by 2022. That would cut up to four hours of travel time and eliminate the stress of a connecting flight.
These are impressive changes. There was a time when flying from Australia to Europe in 17 hours would not have been thought possible, not even in our founders’ wildest dreams. But it’s their pioneering spirit that drives us at Qantas to keep reaching for exciting aviation milestones.