Qantas and Australia Post have agreed to extend their 100-year air freight partnership for a further 10 years in anticipation of the growing demand for next-day delivery of e-commerce across Australia.
The agreement comes as Qantas operates its first commercial freight flight this evening on behalf of Australia Post from Western Sydney International Airport (WSI), which marks the official opening of the new 24/7 cargo terminal.
Qantas Freight expects to move more than 160,000 parcels through the 24,000 square metre facility in its first 24 hours, with 12 arrivals overnight from 10pm. Australia Post parcels will be on the first service.
“Australians are increasingly reliant on airfreight with the continued growth of e-commerce and we’re proud to be extending our partnership with Australia Post,” Qantas chief executive officer of international and freight Cam Wallace said. “We’ve transformed our freighter fleet over the past few years, with newer, larger and more efficient aircraft to support Australia Post and their customers’ needs.”
Domestic services will operate to and from WSI to Melbourne, Cairns, Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Perth, as well as onward flights to regional centres, processing more than 850 tonnes of freight a week. The airline expects international flights to begin early next year.
Qantas Freight will operate a fleet of two A330 freighters and six A321 freighters, with three additional aircrafts on the way, plus priority space in the cargo hold of more than 300 aircraft across the Qantas passenger fleet. Qantas’ freight network serves over 110 destinations across Australia and globally.
Under the long-term contract, Qantas Freight will support delivery of over 75 million tonnes of parcels and cargo each year, across Australia and overseas, with volume expected to grow as online shopping and next-day delivery demand continues to rise.
The Qantas and Australia Post partnership dates back to November 1922.
