Australia Post adds A330 freighter to support e-commerce demand
23 / 10 / 2023
Australia Post A330 freighter. Photo: Australia Post
Australia Post has added a new freighter to its fleet to grow its capacity and support e-commerce demand.
Operated in partnership with Qantas Freight, the newly converted Airbus A330-200P2F (passenger to freighter) aircraft will initially operate between the east coast of Australia and Perth on the west coast, carrying StarTrack and Express Post parcels.
It will increase overall peak capacity on the network by 29%, according to Australia Post.
The carrier said the new freighter will provide “critical capacity and flexibility to support growing eCommerce demands during the busy peak Christmas period”.
Additionally, the new freighter will reduce Australia Post’s aircraft emissions by replacing a Boeing 737 freighter which will be retired from the fleet.
“Producing 42% less carbon emissions per kilogram of cargo than the 737F, the extensive capacity of the A330 requires less fuel for each parcel carried,” said Australia Post.
Australia Post chief executive and managing director Paul Graham emphasised the significance of the new freighter and the role it will play in Australia Post’s delivery network.
“Our new A330 freighter delivers increased flexibility within our freighter fleet, creating a sustainable, long-term solution to meet growing customer demand driven by eCommerce. This new freighter also builds on our longstanding partnership with Qantas Freight, which operates our existing freighter fleet.
“The new A330 provides 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.
“Notably, the A330 allows us to further simplify and streamline our services while delivering on our commitment to a more sustainable future. The additional capacity of this aircraft allows us to reduce the number of aircraft we have in the air by operating on our largest volume sectors, in turn reducing our carbon footprint and supporting fast and reliable deliveries for our customers.”
Australia Post has a fleet of 14 dedicated freighter aircraft via its air services partner Qantas Freight.
During December 2022, Australia Post carried more than 9m kilograms via its dedicated freighters and within the aircraft belly hold of passenger flights.
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