Qantas Announces Major Investment in Domestic New Zealand

Qantas said today it would implement a multi-million dollar investment in its New Zealand domestic product from November 2007.

Qantas Regional General Manager New Zealand Grant Lilly said the product enhancements being introduced over the coming months would see a more targeted focus on the business traveller.

"With these changes, which will be implemented progressively from next month, Qantas will bring its Cityflyer brand to the New Zealand market.

"Cityflyer is being tailored for the specific needs of our New Zealand business travellers, and will operate on the major business routes of Auckland-Wellington, Auckland-Christchurch and Wellington-Christchurch."

Mr Lilly said the enhancements being offered under Cityflyer would include:

- new options to make the airport process faster and easier - online check-in and Qantas QuickCheck self-serve kiosks;
- complimentary morning newspapers;
- a free bar service from 4pm on weekdays; and
- an enhanced food offering, with the addition of substantial café-style meal items, the introduction of fresh fruit and new food and beverage equipment.

Mr Lilly said that in addition to the Cityflyer enhancements, Qantas would also:

- invest $3 million to upgrade its domestic Qantas Club lounges in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington, including new fittings and furnishings, with work to be completed by April 2008;
- progressively refresh the cabins on its B737 domestic fleet, introducing new seat fabrics, curtains and carpets specially designed by world renowned industrial designer and Qantas Creative Director Marc Newson; and
- introduce a fifth aircraft to the New Zealand domestic fleet in 2008, taking the fleet to five B737s.

Mr Lilly said the additional aircraft would enable Qantas to reintroduce services between Christchurch and Wellington, providing greater schedule flexibility and reliability and allowing Qantas to improve its on-time performance.

He said New Zealand passengers could expect a greatly enhanced travel experience when flying Qantas.

"The move to online check-in being introduced next month will allow domestic passengers to check-in for their flight via the internet at qantas.co.nz before travelling to the airport.

"The service allows customers to check-in for same day return flights, choose their preferred seat and print their own boarding passes before heading to the airport and makes moving through the airport a much faster process.

"Using online check-in, customers who are travelling with only carry-on baggage can head straight to their departure gate, while passengers with baggage to check-in need simply stop at one of our bag drop counters before going to their boarding gate," he said.

Mr Lilly said Qantas QuickCheck self-service kiosks would be installed at Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington domestic terminals by February 2008.

"QuickCheck allows passengers to check-in for flights, select their seat and print their own boarding pass in under 60 seconds.

"Passengers without baggage can then proceed straight to their departure gate, and passengers with bags to check-in simply proceed to a bag drop counter."

"The changes reinforce Qantas' commitment to the New Zealand market."

Qantas Shares closed a massive 14 cents higher today.

Qantas spreads its wings to Karratha

QANTAS will start a new service from Brisbane to Karratha in Western Australia from next month, taking advantage of the mining boom.

The weekly Boeing 737-800 service will start on November 6.

The airline's regional general manager for Western Australia, Ian Gay, said the new service would be the first direct connection between the Pilbara region and the east coast.

Mr Gay said there was a market for the service as both Queensland and Western Australia were enjoying a resources boom.

The service would also boost tourism opportunities, he said.

QantasLink Pink Aircraft Takes to the Sky

QantasLink has launched a pink aircraft to mark the commencement of its Diamond Partnership with the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF).

Qantas Executive General Manager, Mr John Borghetti, said that the Bombardier Q400 aircraft would play an important role in spreading the message of prevention and treatment of breast cancer to people in regional Australia.

"Statistics show that awareness of breast cancer treatment and prevention options in regional Australia is significantly less than in city areas," Mr Borghetti said.

"We hope that our partnership with the NBCF, and our activities in regional Australia involving this aircraft, can increase awareness and also raise vital funds for breast cancer research."

The pink aircraft, one of QantasLink's new 72-seat Q400s, was officially unveiled at a breakfast at the Qantas Jet Base in Sydney this morning by Mr Borghetti and NBCF Chair, The Hon Roslyn Kelly AO.

Ms Kelly said that the ultimate goal of the NBCF was to raise enough money to fund a cure for breast cancer.

"As a nation, we have all the ingredients to successfully push onwards towards the prevention and eventual cure for breast cancer," she said.

"I am delighted that QantasLink has joined this challenge and is committed to helping our organisation carry this important message across regional Australia."

Mr Borghetti said the aircraft would operate services across QantasLink's regional network and would also transport a number of NBCF ambassadors to attend Pink Link days around NSW, Queensland, Victoria, ACT and Tasmania.

"Pink Link days will be an important opportunity for regional communities to learn more about the work of the NBCF and how they can become involved for the good of their own community," he said.

He said that QantasLink would also donate $1 for every passenger travelling on QantasLink services in October to the NBCF.

Donation envelopes will also be available in QantasLink aircraft seat pockets.

QantasLink currently operates around 2,000 flights each week, serving 50 metropolitan and regional destinations throughout Australia.

NBCF is the leading Australian not-for-profit organisation promoting and supporting breast cancer in all its forms.

Qantas A380's on the way

Airbus has now assembled 23 A380s including the five development aircraft (but excluding the ground test airframes). Three SIA A380s are in Hamburg undergoing cabin furnishing, along with the first Emirates aircraft.

The first Qantas A380 (MSN014) is undergoing the finalizing of its wiring installation in Toulouse as it approaches the "power-on" stage, and should be ferried to Hamburg for furnishing before year-end.

The first A380 to be equipped with the redesigned electrical system will be MSN026(Qantas), and Heinen says that the design is now frozen and the installation is due to begin "in the coming weeks". This aircraft should be ready for power-on early in 2008.

Qantas to Train Nippon Cargo Pilots

Qantas Group Flight Training and Nippon Cargo Airlines this week signed a five-year contract for Qantas to provide Boeing 747-400 training for up to 200 Nippon Cargo Airlines pilots.

Qantas Executive General Manager Services Curtis Davies said the first intake would commence training in October at Qantas Group Flight Training facilities in Sydney and at Avalon in Victoria.

"Each pilot will undertake a nine-week course with Qantas instructors in 747-400 simulators and aircraft prior to the Japanese regulator giving final approval," he said.

Mr Davies said the training provided was the first of its kind for Nippon Cargo outside of Japan and China.

"This five-year contract with Nippon Cargo is an important step in developing this Qantas Group business.

"Qantas Group Flight Training is in negotiations with a number of international carriers to provide simulator endorsement training on a range of aircraft types.

"This new stand-alone flight training business will train more than 3,000 new pilots for the Qantas Group over the next 10 years and a significant number of pilots for other airlines, now including Nippon Cargo Airlines," Mr Davies said.

Qantas Group Flight Training will operate independently of the airline by the end of 2007 with its own profit and loss responsibilities.

Qantas to return to Rome

According to Qantas.com online schedules, the airline will return to Rome, for a period of 1 week during July 2008. Flights will be operated by 747-300s.

Flights will be operated ex Sydney on 21/25/28 July 2008 and ex Rome on 22/24/29 July 2008. Schedules are as follows:

QF15 SYD-BKK-FCO

SYD/BKK 18.00/00.20+1
BKK/FCO 01.50/07.50

QF16 FCO-SIN-SYD

FCO/SIN 12.00/06.00+1
SIN/SYD 07.20/16.40

Pressure mounts for Boeing 787-10 decision as Airbus A350 comes into frame at Qantas

Boeing 787 launch customer Qantas is pushing the airframer to commit to the development of a long-range -10 stretch and is considering the A350-1000 as an alternative to satisfy its requirement for a 350-seat transpacific aircraft.

Boeing has been studying a "double-stretch" 787-10 variant for several years, which is timed to enter service after 2013. It has been offering the larger aircraft to customers but needs to secure commitments before approaching its board for launch approval.

"We are looking to Boeing to commit to a -10 aircraft with a longer range but with the same technology as the 787 aircraft," says Qantas chief executive Geoff Dixon.

Qantas, which has 45 GEnx powered 787's on order is interested in an aircraft with 350 seats that can reach the US West Coast from Sydney nonstop with a full load of passengers and cargo, he adds.

Although the airline rejected the original A350 when it selected the 787 back in 2005, it is interested in evaluating the 350-seat -1000 version of the revamped A350 XWB.

"We are looking very, very carefully at the A350," Dixon said during the 787's roll-out in Everett near Seattle last week, adding: "There is no doubt the A350 now is a very, very good aircraft."

Qantas plans to put the baseline -8 model into service next July, with its low-cost operator JetStar Airways taking the first 15 aircraft to launch its international operations.

The mainline carrier will accept the next batch of aircraft, which are notionally to be 787-9s, although Qantas has the flexibility to switch to other models of the 787, to include the potential -10 model, says Dixon.

The airline will finalise a deal before the end of this month for 20 more 787s and convert an additional 20 purchase rights into options.