Qantas mulls Boeing 787 flights to China, Japan, Korea and India
By John Walton, February 4 2013
Qantas is pegging Beijing, Seoul, Mumbai, Delhi and Tokyo's city-centre airport Haneda as potential destinations for its fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
The airline has previously played coy on nominating Dreamliner routes, given that its first deliveries of the stretched 787-9 version aren't due until at least 2016.
However, not all of those cities are earmarked to see a 787 with a Red Roo on the tail.
While Qantas admits that it is "investigating an increase in destinations to Asia using the Qantas Group's B787-9 options from 2016", that reference to the Qantas Group could signal that some of these Dreamliner flights might be with Jetstar.
Jetstar's first fourteen 787s are still expected to arrive in Q3 of this year, despite the recent grounding due to battery issues, with a further fifty jets available — if Qantas confirms the option orders with Boeing — starting in 2016.
Any Asian destination increase would follow what Qantas is calling an "expanded network within Asia through local partners (such as Japan Airlines, China Eastern, Jet Airways, Cathay Pacific and Malaysia Airlines)".
It'll be no coincidence that those airlines — plus Korean partner Asiana — have either hubs or a heavy presence in the cities Qantas is considering for its 787s.
New Asian options are all on the cards in the new Qantas-Emirates alliance world. Qantas today announced its new Asian strategy, which sees retimed flights from Sydney and Melbourne, boosts (and new times) for services from Brisbane, but cancellations for Perth, Adelaide and Frankfurt services.
Also in AusBT's extensive coverage of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner...
- PHOTO TOUR: Inside Qantas' Boeing 787 Dreamliner Sydney event
- Qantas teases on super-stretched Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner
- Photos and flight report: ANA’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner
- Fan pays $32,700 for seat on first ANA Boeing 787 Dreamliner flight
- Why business travellers will love the Boeing 787 Dreamliner
- Boeing’s 787 nixes first class for business, premium economy
- Exclusive photo tour: inside ANA's new Boeing 787 Dreamliner
- Photos: inside the Boeing 787's funky crew rest 'loft'
- Light fantastic: the Boeing 787’s digital window tinting
- Flying in a Boeing 787 Dreamliner: first real-life video
- Photos & video: Inside the first ANA Boeing 787 Dreamliner
- Boeing chooses Android for 787 Dreamliner's entertainment system
And for the very latest, follow us on Twitter: we're @AusBT.
Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 May 2011
Total posts 732
Am I the only one laughing at the announcements made by QF regarding thier future plans? Personally it annoys me that QF is announcing all these wonderful "plans" of Asian destinations for the far future, whereas the reality is that I just don't see it happen. Just look at the announcements today regarding their new Asia Strategy. There were nice words when they announced the EK alliance and there were promises of better connections and more flights, I only see a slight increase for BNE, not drastic though).
Also the comment about flights by the "Qantas Group" is such a farce. It means they will be low cost flights with an inferior product and if you do not buy the package for FF points you end up earning zero (and if you buy up the price jumps ridiculously high that it woudl make more sense to book for instance CX if you want to credit to a OW FF program)
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Feb 2013
Total posts 44
Agreed - the Asia strategy for me now is CX and MAS for OW FF and AirAsia for filling in short haul gaps once there.
04 Feb 2013
Total posts 6
KG, don't forget that by rerouting Europe flights via Dubai, the number of available seats for Asian destinations via Singapore and HK has increased substantially. That, and the arrival times in those destinations do look a whole lot better - nice afternoon and evening slots.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 May 2011
Total posts 732
Sure, agreed that the available seats have increased, but most probably this seating is on far inferior producst than the A380. I was upset when they moved the BKK flight from a 747 to an A330. I fear for the flights to SIN. They do not even have all of their 747 refurbed! It will be a mess. With that respect QF complement EK very well with their mixed fleet ;)
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1374
Standard management speak.
There is no way QFi will order any 787s unless it can get it costs (read Pilots, FAs, Baggage Handlers, Maintenance) down to a level that is regionally competitive.
Otherwise the airlines in China, South Korea, India and Japan will also order 787s and QFi will continue to lose money. The passengers want the cheapest fare so making a profit comes down to managing costs.
We may well be left with QFi flying to UK and US only.
20 Feb 2012
Total posts 125
Qantas has plans for India
JetstarIndia is on the cards!!(are not all 787 but 2?? going to Jetstar anyway)
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
13 Dec 2012
Total posts 53
potentially, possibly, if we have the 797-9 there might be......
Given QF history in this saga and their lack of interest in the international market and that it is not until 2016 when the world will have changed again, I have my severe doubts
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
23 Mar 2012
Total posts 211
apparently Australia only consists of 3 states now. QF paid lip service to connecting anywhere outside the east coast to the world before, now they have removed all pretense.
QFF Gold QC gold
26 Nov 2012
Total posts 56
I assume "Jetstar's first fourteen 787s are" is a typo and should read first "of" fourteen? Surely they won't get 14 787's in one year would they? Also the "are" would suggest more than one......
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