Australia Post has upgraded its aerial fleet bringing on two new Airbus freighters in the lead-up to the Christmas eCommerce boom.
Australia Post General Manager Premium Services and International Mark Davies said the new A321P2F freighters, operated in partnership with Qantas, replaced Boeing 737 freighters which took their final flights in August.
Mr Davies said the retirement of the 737s ushered in a new era of larger, more fuel-efficient Airbus models for the 12-strong fleet of freighters.
He said the converted A321 freighters would 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.”
Mr Davies said the report predicted stores would see the biggest jump in sales across the Black Friday sales period (up 142 percent), followed by athleisure (an expected 138 percent increase), fashion accessories (a 133 percent increase), sporting & outdoor (a 130 percent uplift) and women’s fashion (up 120 percent).
“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.”
Executive Manager Qantas Freight Igor Kwiatkowski the aircraft played a vital role in Australia’s supply chain.
“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.”
