Qantas Freight
Cargo airline of Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Qantas Freight is the subsidiary company of Australia's largest airline Qantas responsible for air cargo operations of the Qantas Group.[1] It is the owner of freight airline Express Freighters Australia, freight forwarder Qantas Courier and trucking company Jets Transport Express. Qantas Freight was also a partner in two joint ventures with Australia Post: Australian airExpress, specialising in door-to-door package delivery, and StarTrack, a road freight company.[1][2] In November 2012, Qantas Freight fully acquired Australia air Express and divested its shareholding in Star Track to Australia Post. Qantas Freight was also the owner of Asian-based freight forwarder DPEXWorldwide until that company was acquired by its competitor Toll Holdings in 2010.[3] Qantas Freight is also responsible for placing freight in the hold of Qantas and Jetstar operated international and domestic services.
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_Airbus_A330-202(P2F)_taxiing_at_Sydney_Airport_(4).jpg) Qantas Freight A330-202/P2F, operated by Express Freighters Australia | |||||||
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| Founded | 2001 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hubs | |||||||
| Subsidiaries | Express Freighters Australia | ||||||
| Fleet size | 8 | ||||||
| Destinations | 130 | ||||||
| Parent company | Qantas | ||||||
| Headquarters | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||
| Key people | Cam Wallace (CEO, Qantas International & Freight) | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
Destinations
As of October 2024, Qantas Freight directly serves 50 international and 80 domestic destinations. Qantas Freight has the ability to reach 480 global destinations through its airline partners, including Emirates, which it signed a cargo cooperation agreement with in 2024.[4]
Fleet
_Melbourne_International_Airport_(MEL_YMML)_(51814068661).jpg)
_Boeing_737-400SF_at_Sydney_Airport_(2).jpg)
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As of November 2024, Qantas Freight subsidiary Express Freighters Australia operates the following aircraft:[7]
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A321-200/P2F | 6 | 6[8][9] | Launch customer. Operated for Australia Post/StarTrack.[10][11][12] Deliveries through FY26.[9] |
| Airbus A330-200/P2F | 2[13][14] | — | Converted from Qantas aircraft and delivered from 2023.[15] One operated for Australia Post/StarTrack. |
| Total | 8 | 6 |
As of November 2024, Qantas Freight wet-leases 14 aircraft that operate both domestic and international services on behalf of the airline, these include:
- Aerlink - 1 ATR 72-200F (VH-AK3)[16]
- Airwork - 2 Boeing 737-400F[17][18]
- ASL Australia (Pionair) - 3 BAe 146-200 (QT) & 2 BAe 146-300 (QT)[19]
- Atlas Air - 2 Boeing 747-400F[20]
- National Jet Express - 3 BAe 146-300 (QT)[21]
Fleet development
In June 2016, the 737-400F, two of the 737-300Fs and three BAe 146s were rebranded and are operated as a dedicated fleet for Australia Post and StarTrack.[21]
In April 2019, Qantas Freight announced it would wet-lease two Atlas Air Boeing 747-8F aircraft to replace the two current wet-leased 747-400F aircraft.[22] The first aircraft landed in Sydney on 27 August with small Qantas Freight decals applied (visible when the forward nose cargo door is open), with the second due later in the week.[23]
In August 2019, Qantas Freight announced a deal with Australia Post which was worth $1.4 billion. Included in the deal was Qantas Freight's announcement of the purchase of the world's first A321P2F, of which they ordered 3 to be delivered from October 2020.[11]
In December 2019, ASL Airlines Australia (formally Pionair) put the first BAe 146 into service on a wet-lease for Qantas Freight[24] since then this has steadily increased to have all 5 of ASL's BAe 146 aircraft operating for Qantas.[19]
In February 2023, Qantas announced that 3 additional A321P2F would be ordered for delivery in 2024 and 2025.[9]
In May 2024, Aerlink quietly announced that they would operate a wet-leased ATR 72-200F, VH-AK3,[25] for Qantas Freight in Queensland, between Brisbane, Mackay and Rockhampton, with the service beginning in late June 2024.[16][26]
Former fleet
| Aircraft | Number | Introduced | Retired | Replacement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-300F | 4 | 2013 | 2024 | Airbus A321-200/P2F |
| Boeing 737-400F | 1 | 2017 | 2024 | |
| Boeing 767-300F | 1 | 2010 | 2024 | Airbus A330-200/P2F[27] |
Price-fixing case
Legal action was brought in the United States against a number of airlines' freight operations over allegations of price fixing between 2000 and 2006, including Qantas Freight. Following the imposition of a fine of US$300 million on British Airways, in November 2007, Qantas Freight agreed to plead guilty in a US court and was fined US$61 million.[28] In a separate development the former head of Qantas Freight in the United States was sentenced to eight months imprisonment in May 2008.[29] The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission also launched legal action in Australia, and in October 2008, Qantas' management agreed to settle the case with a fine of A$20 million.[30] Qantas is also facing a number of class action lawsuits.[30]
