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- Australia Post and Qantas (QAN) are teaming up to boost the country’s shipping network, announcing the conversion of several passenger planes into freighters
- Two Airbus A330 200 passenger aircrafts will be converted to freight planes, with one to operate domestically for Aus Post and the other to ship internationally via QAN
- A third A321 P2F and converted A330 P2F will also be added to Australia Post’s dedicated freighter fleet — which consists of 12 aircrafts altogether
- The additional planes are the Australian postal service’s and airliner’s solution to support the ongoing, increased demand for online shopping
Australia Post and Qantas (QAN) are teaming up to boost the country’s shipping network, announcing the conversion of several passenger planes into freighters.
The Australian airline and postal service said the new planes were their solution to meet the growing demand from eCommerce businesses.
Two Airbus A330 200 passenger aircrafts will be converted to freighters, with one to operate domestically for Australia Post and the other to ship internationally for Qantas.
A third A321 P2F is set to hit the skies this week, while a converted A330 P2F will also be added to Australia Post’s dedicated freighter fleet — which consists of 12 aircrafts.
Australia Post Group CEO and Managing Director Paul Graham said it was vital to support the ongoing, increased demand for online shopping
“Australia Post plays a critical role connecting Australian businesses and communities and this has never been more evident than through the global pandemic where eCommerce has grown by more than 76 per cent when compared to just two years ago,” he said.
“We are thrilled to have these new aircraft in our network as we prepare to deliver the biggest Christmas in Australia Post history. Last December we delivered a record 52 million parcels and uplifted over 7.4 million kilos of air freight, and we fully expect to eclipse these volumes this year.”
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce added that the conversion of the two A330’s would significantly increase capacity for both domestic and international services.
“Demand for air freight has dramatically increased due to the growth of online shopping during the pandemic,” he said.
“We’re responding by growing our dedicated freighter fleet which will benefit online shoppers and businesses across Australia by increasing the amount of parcels we can carry and ensuring they arrive as quickly as possible.”
