Australia Post unveils two A321 freighters ahead of Christmas

Australia Post has added two additional freighters to its fleet, providing critical capacity and flexibility as Australia prepares for an eCommerce boom in the lead-up to Christmas.

Operated in partnership with Qantas, the new A321P2F freighters replace the last Boeing 737 freighters which took their final flights in August. The retirement of the 737s ushers in a new era of larger, more fuel-efficient Airbus models.

The newly converted A321 freighters will operate between the east coast, Perth, Tasmania and Cairns, carrying around 21,000 parcels each a night of Australia Post’s suite of services including Express Post, Parcel Post and StarTrack premium.

The freighters coincide with the release of Australia Post’s latest quarterly Inside Australian Online Shopping Report revealing Aussies are set to capitalise on the upcoming sales events that kick off the nation’s biggest online retail season.

The report predicts Major and Discount Stores will see the biggest jump in sales across the Black Friday sales period (up 142 per cent), followed by Athleisure (an expected 138 per cent increase), Fashion Accessories (a 133 per cent increase), Sporting & Outdoor (a 130 per cent uplift) and Women’s Fashion (up 120 per cent).

Australia Post General Manager Premium Services and International, Mark Davies, said the new freighters deliver increased flexibility and capacity within our fleet, creating a sustainable, long-term solution to meet growing customer demand driven by eCommerce.

“These freighters provide a direct boost to our freighter capacity during our busiest time of year, ensuring we are well placed to manage the increased volume expected across the cyber sales period and Christmas.

“Last year, we delivered almost 100 million parcels in the lead up to Christmas, and we expect similar volumes this year especially as demand surges during upcoming key sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.”

Igor Kwiatkowski, Executive Manager Qantas Freight, said it was a great milestone for the Australian freight industry.

“These aircraft play a vital role in Australia’s supply chain and by investing in new, more efficient aircraft, we can continue to grow our operations to support the strong demand for next-day delivery across Australia.

“The 737s were a key workhorse for decades but these newer Airbus A321P2F aircraft allow us to generate new levels of efficiency as well as significantly reduce emissions for freight movements.”

Australia Post has a fleet of 12 dedicated freighter aircraft operated by its air services partner Qantas Freight.

This investment marks a major milestone in Australia Post’s commitment to enhancing its delivery network and reduces Australia Post’s aircraft emissions by producing 34 per cent less carbon emissions per kilogram of cargo and carries over 70 per cent more parcels than the B737-300F.