Qantas enters a new era with first two Airbus A321XLR revenue flights
September 25, 2025
After months of excited anticipation, Australian carrier Qantas has officially become an operator of the Airbus A321XLR. The airline has commenced operations with the newest type to join its fleet, operating rotations between Sydney and Melbourne, as well as between Sydney and Perth.
Qantas becomes the world’s fourth operator of the Airbus A321XLR (after Iberia, Wizz Air, and Aer Lingus). The flights also made Qantas the first airline in the Asia-Pacific region to operate this variant of the popular A321 narrow-body.
The entry into service of the airline’s first two aircraft was marked with round-trip flights linking the carrier’s main hub at Sydney International Airport (SYD) with state capitals Melbourne (MEL) and Perth (PER), covering distances of 2,041 miles (3,265km) and 439 miles (702km), respectively.
According to the airline, the start of revenue flights with the A321XLRs marks “a major milestone in the airline’s fleet renewal program.”
More details about the first passenger flights
On the morning of September 25, the first to depart was aircraft registered VH-OGB heading to the Western Australian capital city of Perth.
According to data obtained from Flightradar24, the aircraft was airborne from Sydney at 11:07 local time as QF645. It landed in Perth after flying for four hours and 33 minutes at 13:39 local time.
After a turnaround lasting 90 minutes, the aircraft was swiftly dispatched on its way back to Sydney as QF650, where it would end its first full day of operations.
Meanwhile, sistership VH-OGA departed Sydney as QF467 at 16:47 and landed in Melbourne on schedule at 18:08. Once turned around, the plane was due to head back to Sydney as QF484.
Earlier in the day, VH-OGA had operated a special rotation for employees, media, and guests of the airline, once again to Melbourne. This flight carried the commemorative flight number QF1321, representing the significance of the first flight.
CEO Hudson welcomes the new arrivals
Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said the A321XLR aircraft represented a significant milestone in the Group’s fleet renewal program.
“Seeing our A321XLRs take to the skies with customers for the first time is a proud moment for everyone involved and testament to the incredible efforts of the teams across Qantas and Airbus,” said Hudson.
“Investing in next-generation aircraft is the most significant way we can elevate the travel experience for our customers and our people. We have already seen a significant improvement in customer satisfaction on our new A220s and Jetstar’s new aircraft.
“The extended flight range enables us to operate these aircraft on both domestic and short-haul international routes, including destinations across South East Asia that are not viable with our current narrowbody fleet.”
“Preparing for these commercial flights has taken an enormous effort, with nearly 350 training flights and more than 40,000 hours of training completed, as well as thousands of pieces of equipment deployed across our network.
“We look forward to introducing our A321XLRs on other domestic and international routes as more aircraft join our fleet.”
Qantas and the Airbus A321XLR
The company has so far received two aircraft direct from the manufacturer’s final assembly line in Hamburg, Germany – VH-OGA and VH-OGB (named ‘Great Ocean Road’ and ‘Outback Way’, respectively).
“Qantas’ A321XLR aircraft are named after Australian walks, rivers, and roads, as a nod to the iconic travel opportunities across Australia and the importance of connecting our vast landscape,” explained the carrier.
Since arriving in Australia, both aircraft have been solely used on crew training sorties, allowing both ground and air crews to get familiar with the type before entering regular passenger service.
Speaking about the start of A321XLR commercial services, a Qantas statement said that “These new aircraft offer a more comfortable flying experience for customers, with wider seats, larger windows, fast, free Wi-Fi, and overhead bins that allow for around 60% more bags than the Boeing 737 they will replace”.
The airline’s third aircraft is coming
With its first two aircraft now inducted into passenger service, Qantas’ third A321XLR aircraft, VH-OGC (‘Seven Peaks Walk’), rolled out of the paint shop at Airbus earlier in September.
Qantas is expected to take delivery of the aircraft in November 2025. By the end of June 2026, Qantas will have seven of this aircraft type in service, with many more expected in the coming years.
Earlier in September, the airline also announced that it was expanding its commitment to the A321XLR to 48 aircraft. 16 of these Pratt & Whitney GTF-powered aircraft will feature lie-flat Business seats and seatback entertainment for longer sectors, as well as transcontinental services to and from Perth, and short and medium-haul international routes such as Sydney to Singapore.
Meanwhile, other aircraft from the original 2022 order for 28 A321XLRs are being delivered in a two-class configuration featuring 20 business and 180 economy class seats and are aimed at domestic flying.
Qantas’ fleet renewal plan is well underway
The commencement of Airbus A321XLR services marks the next stage of the carrier’s multi-billion-dollar fleet renewal programme.
The A321XLRs are earmarked to allow the progressive phasing out of older Boeing 737s and Boeing 717s in favour of newer-generation aircraft that deliver lower emissions, greater efficiency, and an improved passenger experience.
However, the airline’s fleet replacement plan began when the airline received its first Airbus A220-300 at the end of 2023. The airline has 20 of the type on order, which will be operated on its behalf by regional subsidiary QantasLink.
While the A220s are likely to largely feature on Australian domestic routes, they will also be deployed on short-haul international routes such as Brisbane to Wellington. Five aircraft have been delivered to date.
Alongside the A220s and A321XLRs, Qantas is preparing for deliveries of 12 Airbus A350-1000s as part of its “Project Sunrise” operation. This will see the airline offering non-stop flights from Australia’s east coast to Europe and North America, namely London-Heathrow (LHR) and New York-JFK (JFK) airports.
Currently, these flights are due to commence in the spring of 2027, subject to regulatory approval.
On average, the Qantas Group is due to receive one new aircraft every three weeks over the next three years.
