aviation - the past, present and future of flight

W

hen the  rst Qantas-branded

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

touched down at Sydney

Airport on October 20

last year (2017), the carrier had much to

celebrate. The arrival of this  rst aircraft,

VH-ZNA, marked the highlight of the its

Dreamliner journey, which began in 2005.

Amid much fanfare, the 236-seat airliner

was proudly towed into the company’s

Sydney Jet Base for an official welcome

ceremony, an activity that has been

performed many times over the years when

the Australian carrier has introduced new

aircraft types.

Yet, despite the familiarity of the event,

CEO Alan Joyce was particularly excited

about the new jet’s potential. This aircraft

will establish the long-desired direct

connection between Australia and the UK –

a route set to revolutionise Qantas’ long-haul

appeal.

Joyce said: “It [the 787] gives us a

combination of  ying range and passenger

comfort that will change how people travel.

This aircraft means we can  nally offer a

direct link between Australia and Europe,

with our Perth to London  ight that starts

next year [2018]. We’re looking at several

other exciting route options as well.”

There’s no escaping the fact that

Qantas’ Dreamliner story has been a tricky

one; plagued by delays at a time when it

desperately needed to revamp its ageing

international  eet.

But its 2017 entry into service marks the

culmination of the carrier’s own dramatic

transformation; a change that saw the airline

rebound from one of the largest  nancial

losses in Australian commercial history to

achieve record pro ts and begin new long-

haul routes.

THE LONG ROAD

Qantas’ journey with the Dreamliner

officially began in December 2005, when

the Australian carrier and Boeing jointly

announced a hallmark order for 115 new

787s.

The original agreement included 45

 rm orders, 20 options and rights for 50

additional aircraft in a move that the then

CEO Geoff Dixon said was setting a course

for the future.

“With our unique geographic challenges,

we need all the advantages we can take

to compete effectively against some of the

industry’s toughest. The 787 family will help

us provide increased or new services by

Qantas and Jetstar to 15 destinations and

to destinations which we cannot currently

pro tably serve,” Dixon explained at the time.

Qantas’ low-cost subsidiary Jetstar was

to get the Boeing 787-8, with the  rst aircraft

expected to enter service in August 2008.

The larger 787-9 would be for the major

brand and was planned to begin mainline

operations in July the following year.

The stakes were high, reportedly worth

some AU$23bn. The aircraft was pegged as a

vehicle to revolutionise the carrier’s operations.

Not only would it signi cantly improve route

economics, but also promised to enable

expansion of international operations into Asia,

the Middle East and Europe.

The fi rst Dreamliner for Qantas has entered service with the type set to

enable the airline to achieve a long-held aspiration, as Chris Frame explains.

QANTAS

BOEING 787s

FULFILLING THE DREAM

18 Aviation News incorporating Jets January 2018

Above: Qantas’  rst 787-9 Dreamliner VH-ZNA.

Bernard Proctor

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