Qantas has given its strongest signal yet that international flights from Adelaide could soon be back on the table, with the new Airbus A321 XLR narrow-body aircraft opening up fresh opportunities for long-overlooked routes.
Responding to questions from The Champagne Mile at an Airbus media briefing in Hamburg yesterday, Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson said the new aircraft could open the door for routes that were previously too costly to operate, including flights from South Australia’s capital.
“It’s really important when you’re bringing in a new fleet that you get to scale,” Hudson told The Champagne Mile. “But once you do, Adelaide will absolutely be a route and a network that we look at.”
She added that reviving international service from Adelaide is part of the broader vision: “Getting back to international would be a goal that we have as well.”
In a follow-up Q&A at the Airbus Summit in Toulouse, Hudson referenced Singapore as a possible future destination from Adelaide, suggesting that South Australia is firmly on Qantas’ radar.
Qantas last operated an international service from Adelaide in 2013, when it ended flights to Singapore. The move left a gap in premium connectivity for South Australian travellers and turned Adelaide into the only mainland capital without a Qantas-operated international route.
Why the A321 XLR is a smart play for Adelaide
While no new routes have been confirmed, the A321 XLR is shaping up as a smart strategic play. With a range of up to 8,700 kilometres and improved fuel efficiency, it allows Qantas to serve lower-demand international routes with the economics of a single-aisle jet.
That opens up possibilities for destinations like Singapore and other parts of Asia, where Qantas considers widebody aircraft unviable for the Adelaide market.
The aircraft is fitted with 20 recliner-style business class seats (a 66% increase over the current Boeing 737 configuration) and 177 economy seats. Features include up to 17 million combinations of mood lighting and Airspace XL overhead storage bins, which provide around 60% more storage than Qantas’ existing narrowbody A321 and 737 fleet.
Will recliner seats work for the Qantas premium market?
The aircraft won’t debut with lie-flat beds in business class. Qantas says the current recliner layout for premium seats is designed for a mix of domestic and shorter international routes, which would likely include any Adelaide launch.
A version of the aircraft with lie-flat seats is still under review, but no timeline has been confirmed.
More award seats for frequent flyers?
That said, the recliner seats shouldn’t be dismissed outright. For frequent flyers, the 20-seat business class cabin could mean more availability for Classic Flight Rewards. This would be particularly welcome on routes from Australian cities to Asia that feed into longer-haul flights to Europe and the US, where availability has long been a pain point.
What’s next for Adelaide, and when?
There’s no formal announcement yet, but the language from Qantas is clearer than ever: Adelaide is firmly in the mix for the XLR fleet.
Any new international route is likely to be several years away, with Qantas indicating it needs to reach a critical mass of aircraft (believed to be around 15 aircraft) before expanding into new markets.
With the first aircraft due to arrive in just a few months, there’s time to watch how the rollout unfolds. For Adelaide, this could mark a step towards reinstating Qantas as a truly national international carrier, one that doesn’t leave South Australia on the sidelines.
The author travelled to Airbus media briefings in Hamburg and Toulouse as a guest of Qantas
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