Qantas welcomes 13th 787 Dreamliner

A Qantas Boeing 787 is marshalled to the parking area.
Photo Credit: Qantas Instagram
Adrian Olstad 4 Min Read
4 Min Read

On June 5, Australian flag carrier Qantas took delivery of its 13th Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner. The aircraft delivered is named “Mateship” and carries the registration VH-ZNM.

The delivery becomes the second one this year, as their 12th Dreamliner registered VH-ZNL was delivered in April. Qantas will also soon be seeing the delivery of their 14th Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, as registration VH-ZNN will be delivered later this month, according to the airline.

June appears to be quite the interesting month for the airline, with both deliveries of new long-haul airliners, which will compliment the company’s restart of the New York route later this month.

The “Big Apple” route makes a comeback after a three-year-long hiatus, this time with an updated stopover destination.

Photo Credit: Qantas Instagram

The delivery


Qantas (QF) took to Instagram on June 5, with the announcement of their 13th Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner being delivered. The 787 was ferried from Boeing’s delivery center in Everett, Paine Field (PAE), with a mere flight time of 19 hours and 42 minutes, according to data provided by Radarbox.com.

The aircraft is currently stationary at Melbourne Int’l Airport (MEL), where it appears to be staying until its entry into service is due.

According to Qantas, the entry into service is due later this month, around the time of the company’s 14th 787 Dreamliner delivery.

A distance marvel – NYC on the charts


With a fleet of thirteen and notoriously known to some by their extreme distance flights, the Qantas 787 fleet seems to be doing its absolute purpose as well as getting pushed hard. Qantas has clearly displayed the 787’s abilities on flights well above ten hours with their London – Perth service.

However, AviationSource previously reported that the company is now gearing up for the restart of flights to New York for the first time in three years, back in May. The route is now approaching, with just days to go as the launch date is set for June 14.

The route will, for the first time, transit through Auckland before a 17+ hour flight direct to New York. Previously, the airlines New York services operated via Los Angeles (LAX).

The relaunch of the New York flights brings Qantas a step closer to returning to its full international network capacity. The airline projects that it will attain pre-COVID capacity by March 2024.

Qantas Group Chief Customer Officer, Markus Svensson said New York is a favourite destination for Australians travelling for both leisure and business, and the airline is launching a number of customer initiatives to herald Qantas’ return to the city.

“Qantas is one of the few airlines in the world to provide Business Class passengers with complimentary pyjamas, and we’re excited to launch a limited edition pyjama and amenity kit range in partnership with leading Australian fashion designer Rebecca Vallance,” said Mr Svensson.

Overall


As previously mentioned, June looks to be quite the interesting month for Qantas, with not only the delivery of two new 787 Dreamliners, the restart of the New York route, but also the retirement of a one-of-a-kind aircraft type, the Boeing 717.

The Boeing 787 appears to serve its purpose well in Qantas, and as the second delivery of 2023 and the second delivery since December 2019, Qantas could be likely to see even more benefits both route and frequency wise. Is that becomes a reality however, remains to be seen.

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