Qantas expects 2018 to be the latest year by which it will retire its 26-strong Boeing 767 fleet.The indicative timing was the only forward projection of the airline's fleet disclosed to a recent Macquarie conference.
A Qantas spokesman says the carrier could look to retire its large-capacity domestic workhorse earlier than 2018 if deliveries of 787 Dreamliners and other new aircraft hold up.
Qantas has 50 787 aircraft on order, 25 of which are currently destined for Qantas mainline and the rest for Jetstar. The 787s are expected to largely replace Qantas's 767 fleet, although chief executive Alan Joyce has threatened aircraft could be cancelled--but that appears to be hot air rather than a real possibility.
Qantas currently operates 26 767-300ER aircraft, 10 of which Qantas says it leases while it owns the remaining 16. Seven aircraft were formerly with British Airways and have RB211 engines while the other 19 frames have CF6 powerplants, according to Flightglobal's ACAS database.
The oldest frame currently in service, VH-OGB, was built in 1988 while the newest, VH-OGV, was built in 2000, according to ACAS. All together two frames were manufactured in the late 1980s, seven from the mid 1990s until 2000, and the rest in the early 1990s.
Globally, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta, and United operate 767-300ER fleets of similar vintage. Recent orders for new passenger 767-300ER aircraft have come from ANA, Azerbaijan Airlines, LAN, and an unidentified customer.
By 2018 Qantas also plans to operate 20 Airbus A380s, 9 747-400s, 20 A330s, and 74 737-800s while Jetstar is expected to operate 15 787s and approximately 100 A320s. Note these figures were prior to Qantas announcing last month a trimming of its short-haul fleet in the near future.
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