With the announcement of new advancements in airplane technology in recent months, Qantas has hopped onboard with innovations to air technology that make planes more eco-friendly. The Australian airline announced last week that it has plans to create a new set of ultra long haul routes. The airline hopes to create some of the longest flights in the world with these new flight paths, but it will have some hurdles to jump through in order to bring that goal into fruition. Meanwhile, Emirates has announced that it no longer plans to fly its jumbo jet Airbus A380 planes. The airline cancelled orders for new versions of the Airbus planes, causing the manufacturer to second guess whether or not it will continue to produce the planes.
Qantas has been criticized recently for its massive fuel costs as its planes seemingly have the lowest fuel efficiency of any in the commercial airline industry. The airline is working to change this with upcoming changes to its strategy. A new direct flight from Perth to London will solidify the airline as having the longest flight in the world. However, this does not improve the airlines aim to lower fuel costs. Qantas will have to adjust its baggage policies, improve its economy to business class ratio, or simply buy cheaper planes. For this reason, the airline is looking for ways to make its planes lighter and more fuel efficient. Its ultimate goal is to provide ultra long haul flights from Australia to Europe.
A380
Airbus is having trouble selling its massive A380 plane in recent months. Many airlines are simply not investing in the massive planes because they’re not fuel efficient and are, therefore, not cost-effective. The planes have been in production since 2000, though they were originally presented in 1994. The planes have earned a place as the largest passenger aircraft in the world since their initial release. Companies like Boeing have not created an aircraft to compete with the Airbus A380 because of its lack of fuel efficiency.
Qantas’ goal is to become the first airline to offer the world’s longest route from Sydney and Perth to London. However, this goal will require it to invest in proper equipment first. The airline is currently seeking a plane that can not only get the job done, but do it well. At least the airline wants to make sure its passengers are comfortable after shoving them in a tin can for 20 hours. The current longest flight in the world is offered from Singapore Airlines. It’s direct flight between New York and Singapore sits at just over 9,000 nautical miles. The airline announced recently that it’s made great efforts to make sure that its passengers are comfortable and healthy during the flight by offering refreshments that focus on health.
