Latest news with #321XLR

Sydney Morning Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
The new way to fly out of Australia
Regional airports across Australia are turning into gateways for international travel as new routes and more competition create options for travel-hungry consumers. This month, the total number of passenger seats on offer from regional airports (on a weekly basis) rose from 18,887 a year ago to 20,145. It's a rise of 6 per cent in the winter school holiday travel months, according to aviation analytics company Cirium, as more flights to New Zealand, Bali and the South Pacific drive up the traffic. 'Australians remain keen to head overseas despite cost-of-living pressures, with travel now firmly embedded in household budgets,' Australian Airports Association chief Simon Westaway said. The move towards regional departures for international flights to Asia, New Zealand and the South Pacific is driven by frustration with crowded metro hubs, rising demand for overseas travel and the availability of services on smaller commercial aircraft that can fly longer distances. 'Population growth and rising demand are making regional centres more attractive for international services,' said Westaway. Westaway said that the advances in aircraft technology 'are allowing airlines to fly longer distances with smaller planes'. 'This makes it more viable to launch international routes from regional airports, provided the right infrastructure is in place.' Loading Qantas budget arm Jetstar is flying the narrow body Airbus 321LR (standing for long range), capable of flying 7400 kilometres, which means it can be used on domestic and international routes. Qantas' newly delivered 321XLR narrow body has a range of 8700 kilometres.

The Age
3 days ago
- Business
- The Age
The new way to fly out of Australia
Regional airports across Australia are turning into gateways for international travel as new routes and more competition create options for travel-hungry consumers. This month, the total number of passenger seats on offer from regional airports (on a weekly basis) rose from 18,887 a year ago to 20,145. It's a rise of 6 per cent in the winter school holiday travel months, according to aviation analytics company Cirium, as more flights to New Zealand, Bali and the South Pacific drive up the traffic. 'Australians remain keen to head overseas despite cost-of-living pressures, with travel now firmly embedded in household budgets,' Australian Airports Association chief Simon Westaway said. The move towards regional departures for international flights to Asia, New Zealand and the South Pacific is driven by frustration with crowded metro hubs, rising demand for overseas travel and the availability of services on smaller commercial aircraft that can fly longer distances. 'Population growth and rising demand are making regional centres more attractive for international services,' said Westaway. Westaway said that the advances in aircraft technology 'are allowing airlines to fly longer distances with smaller planes'. 'This makes it more viable to launch international routes from regional airports, provided the right infrastructure is in place.' Loading Qantas budget arm Jetstar is flying the narrow body Airbus 321LR (standing for long range), capable of flying 7400 kilometres, which means it can be used on domestic and international routes. Qantas' newly delivered 321XLR narrow body has a range of 8700 kilometres.

Sydney Morning Herald
02-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Qantas's new game-changing Airbus touches down in Sydney
Qantas on Wednesday took delivery of the first of its new Airbus planes which will begin to replace ageing 737s in its domestic fleet. Torrential rains buffeting Sydney many have diminished the fanfare but the Airbus 321XLR landed in Sydney Airport at 9.45am after departing Bangkok the evening before. The arrival of the first 321XLR marks a key moment in the long-awaited refresh of Qantas' domestic fleet. The extra-long range narrow-body plane departed the Airbus factory in Hamburg on Monday and flew direct to Bangkok, showing off the range that Qantas will exploit as more of the 321XLRs are brought online. Qantas' plans for a major media event were cancelled as torrential rains and winds forced the closure of two runways at Sydney Airport. More than a 100 flights in and out of Sydney and Newcastle have been affected by the deluge since Tuesday. Adding to the gloom, the storied airline was also hit by a cyberattack which may have affected the data of up to six million customers. The incident was disclosed to the public on Wednesday morning. On the 321XLR, Airbus says the plane 'offers the widest cabin of any narrowbody aircraft globally' including with space for 60 per cent more bags.

The Age
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Age
Qantas's new game-changing Airbus arrives in Sydney
Qantas on Wednesday took delivery of the first of its new Airbus planes which will begin to replace ageing 737s in its domestic fleet. Torrential rains buffeting Sydney many have diminished the fanfare but the Airbus 321XLR landed in Sydney Airport at 9.45am after departing Bangkok the evening before. The arrival of the first 321XLR marks a key moment in the long-awaited refresh of Qantas' domestic fleet. The extra-long range narrow-body plane departed the Airbus factory in Hamburg on Monday and flew direct to Bangkok, showing off the range that Qantas will exploit as more of the 321XLRs are brought online. Qantas' plans for a major media event were cancelled as torrential rains and winds forced the closure of two runways at Sydney Airport. More than a 100 flights in and out of Sydney and Newcastle have been affected by the deluge since Tuesday. Adding to the gloom, the storied airline was also hit by a cyberattack which may have affected the data of up to six million customers. The incident was disclosed to the public on Wednesday morning. On the 321XLR, Airbus says the plane 'offers the widest cabin of any narrowbody aircraft globally' including with space for 60 per cent more bags.