...and on to JFK. 744 not needed on that hop.

So, where are the other three they've ordered going?

Fleet growth

I did the JFKJ/LAX leg in June last year and the aircraft was "pretty full". I was in Business Class which was full and premium Economy only had 2 spare seats. Economy had a few vacant seats but I estimate that there were well over 300 on the flight, an ER, OEI. Remember that the 5 x 744's to go are OEB and OJM with 353 seats = 706 and OJS, T & U with 364 seats = 1092, total 1798. Someone on the site here said that the 789's will be about 250 seats = 2000. Where is the availability for Expansion, an extra 202 seats not even 1 x 789??????????? Unless QF will put more seats in then we might have 1 extra 789 based on seat numbers.
As I have said before QF is running on empty with fleet numbers in the A 380's and 744's, nothing spare really.

The LAX/JFK tag flights average 300+ per flight, making QF the number 6 airline for domestic pax at LAX.

I wonder what registration block will be used for the new 787s. Hopefully a historic selection, VH-OG- or VH-TJ- perhaps. That's if QF have retained them.

If they were looking to give a nod to Qantas heritage the VH-EA series last worn by 767-200s would be ideal. Dates to Empire Airways days....

Most now occupied by private owners, so would cost a motza to buy them back off the owners. Don't think CASA allows sitting on old regos these days.

Ah. that would by why it's harder/impossible to get an A-Z block of 26 regos these days. I still wince when I hear a student pilot in a Charlie Zulu registered light aircraft.

Could we see more 787-9s orders announced on the 23rd Feb?

New aircraft are nice (and necessary) for Qantas so forgive my whinge, but the 744 from BNE to LAX is pretty often packed to the rafters too, so replacing a 744 with a 787 on this run is quite a downsize. I guess that's the way it goes, and people will find another way if they can't squeeze on Qantas, like maybe the new AC 787 daily service to Vancouver for example. Qantas will be caring and sharing their passengers to other services (and airlines!)

QF have talked about having both BNE-LAX and BNE-DFW using the B789s to solve the capacity short fall.

Qantas CEO promises "very luxurious" Boeing 787 configuration
By David Flynn

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has described the airlines' forthcoming Boeing 787-9 as being blessed with "a very luxurious configuration" to match the very long-range routes which the Dreamliner will fly.
Those non-stop routes could include Sydney-Chicago, Melbourne-Dallas, Brisbane-Dallas and even Perth-London, Joyce said, after the first of the red-tailed Boeings join the Qantas fleet from late 2017.

"They're all on the list and it depends on the support we get from the various governments to what network we actually settle on" Joyce told media on the sidelines of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) conference in Dublin this week.
"We're just starting to have a dialog with the airports."
So what will Qantas' long-legged Boeing 787 look like on the inside?
"You'll see a very luxurious configuration, and it's there for the distances that were flying" Joyce expanded.
"There will be a big business class and a big premium economy cabin", and while the economy seats will be nine-across in a 3-3-3 arrangement, Joyce promises "we will be giving some very good seat pitch for economy seats given the the lengths we’ll be flying."

According to one internal Qantas Boeing 787-9 configuration plan sighted by Australian Business Traveller the Dreamliners could see 42 seats in business class, 28 in premium economy and just 165 in economy.
That total of 235 seats is definitely on the comfortable side when compared to other airlines and supports claims of generous leg room in economy rather than a standard and squeezy 31 inches of Qantas' Airbus A380s as well as the Boeing 747s which the Dreamliner will replace.

In fact, with almost half the aircraft's seat count given over to business class and premium economy, Gareth Evans – chief of Qantas’ international arm – describes the layout as being "a premium configuration" which also has implications for other parts of the plane's design.
For example, the kitchen galleys have to support serving the more extensive food and drink menus to a relatively large number of premium customers "to have the level of catering needed for long-haul sectors" Evans explains.
"So we're making sure the aircraft is being configured and capable of flying those very long haul roues. For example, Melbourne-Dallas is actually 20 nautical miles longer than Perth-London."

Evans says that Qantas is now finalising "the product specification and exact seating arrangement" for the Boeing 787, and working with Irish seat manufacturer Thompson Aero "on a number of the products for this aircraft."
Thompson created the airline's highly-regarded Airbus A330 Business Suite (below) and will be refining the design for the Qantas Dreamliners based on customer feedback since the seat debuted in early 2015.

http://www.ausbt.com.au/qantas-ceo-p...-configuration

http://www.ausbt.com.au/is-this-qant...=home-flipper#

Also

Speaking on the sidelines of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual general meeting in Dublin on Thursday, Joyce talked up Qantas’s strong position on not just China but the rest of Asia.

From the second half of next year, Qantas will begin receiving the first of eight new Boeing 787-9 aircraft that could be deployed on existing and new routes. Mr Joyce said Qantas would begin talks with airports and governments about incentives available to help open non-stop routes such as Sydney-Chicago, Melbourne-Dallas, Brisbane-Dallas and Perth-London.

He said the interior of the aircraft would feature large business and premium economy class sections as well as generous legroom in economy class to ensure it had the range to be able to fly such long routes.

Qantas is also in talks with Boeing about the design of the 777-8X aircraft, which could have enough range for Sydney-New York. "There is a bit of tweaking to the aircraft needed to get it there," Mr Joyce said. But he added no decision had yet been made on whether Qantas would ultimately purchase the aircraft.

http://m.smh.com.au/business/aviatio...02-gpa1xa.html

Does anyone know if the Rego's have been allocated for the 787-9's?

I doubt it, marks can only be reserved for 12 months and cannot be extended.

The registration on the Boeing B789 Model presented to Qantas by Boeing at the Retro Roo II launch was VH-QAN (probably symbolic).

This registration does not appear on the Australian Register, and also does not appear on the list of available Marks - not sure what that means (are the QA's reserved ?)

http://www.16right.com/Aircraft-Imag...151116-087.jpg

The VH-OGA-OGV block (ex. QF B763) hasn't been reused.

I was going to say the same thing - the VH-OG* block is available.

The original allocation that was given not long after they were ordered was in the range VH-XZA to VH-XZN for the first 15 B787-8's.

This obviously no longer applicable as VH-XZA etc went to the B737-838's

First c/n was 36202 and first delivery due July 2009.
All aircraft were allocated various c/n's that have now changed.

Saw the original QF document of the time.

If it's a luxurious config it's not 3-3-3.

I'd like to see the VH-EA... rego marks used. Some history to them and not just the 762s.

What choice do you think Qantas has when every airline is using 3-3-3 in economy. The Cozysuite looks like it will be used which will make it the best 787 economy with at least 18 inch seats.

Not every airline, but very nearly. Pity. Like a 10-abreast 777 it's not good for long haul.

Indeed. The B777X will solve this problem providing 18inch seats in a 10 abreast configuration.

What's the chances of Qantas ordering more 787-9s later this year when they announce the new routes. Ausbt said they are tipped to firm up more orders this year. Comment?

Seems like a pretty good chance. I've heard some very convincing information which, if it proves true, would account for 3-4 aircraft out of the 8 currently on firm order.

you mean 3-4 aircraft will be used to launch new routes out of the first 8 787s ordered?

If what I've been told is correct, and if it comes off, then yes... something like that. It would take 3, definitely.

I guess Alan must be ordering more 787s beyond the 8 announced so they can launch more than one new route. Another 10-12 would open up another 3-4 routes.

Or, another 10 or 12 could open 10 or 12 new routes. Depends what the routes were, in terms of sector times, turnarounds, slots, etc.

Oh ok, yeah I guess your right given all the variability we you mentioned depending on the routes.

Do you believe QF will firm more 787 orders this year like ausbt is predicting?

Maybe there will be an announcement at the QANTAS AGM on Friday 28 August, 2016 as to the routes their 787-9s will be used on, either existing or new routes and any follow on orders.

It must be getting close to being just over 12 months before the first 787-9 is delivered to QANTAS. I recall that the first delivery will be in the 4th quarter of 2017. Is this correct?

The AGM is the 10th of October. Do you mean the FY results day August 24. Yes the first 787 will fly in October 2017.

Qantas buys new 787-9 flight simulator

Is the Jetstar 787 sim on the old Ansett Sim Centre near Tulla?

No, it's located in the Qantas crew training base at Airport West, the "old" Ansett sim centre is not old and in fact very much operational with 13 simulators inc A320 down to B200 and SF340

With 4 787s being delivered for two (FY) years. Is realistic to assume that QF will have 2 delivered by the end of next year/every six months or could it be more. Is delivery schedules more variable than that.

Chris, I read this blog regularly and I note you ask the same questions in so many different ways... It gets repetitive and bogs down the thread. It could just be me?

Perhaps you could do like the rest of us do and wait for Qantas to make an announcement.

Very OT in a QF thread, but nice to see the Ansett name and logo still around http://www.ansettaviationtraining.com/

Would there be significant difference between the 788 and 789 simulators? I would have thought largely programming, with this new one a capacity increase.

From the CAPA summit in BNE last week.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce was the opening keynote speaker on the second day of the summit. In a Q&A session with CNN’s Richard Quest following the speech Mr Joyce discussed a wide range of topics including international expansion, the group’s fleet plan and partnerships.

As Mr Evans had highlighted the prior day, international expansion is planned for late 2017 following the delivery of Qantas’ first batch of 787-9s. Mr Joyce provided more detail, stating that there are “three potential networks” Qantas is now working through for its incoming Boeing 787-9 fleet.

“We’re talking to the airports and the states to make them successful,” he said. “There’s lots of alternatives about where we can deploy those aircraft, so we’re working through that and by the end of this calendar year we’ll be making an announcement about the route network for the 787s.”
infrastructure support from airports “is going to be critical” in the decision where to base the 787-9 fleet

Mr Joyce said infrastructure support from airports “is going to be critical” in the decision where to base the 787-9 fleet. Perth, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney are all under consideration.

In Perth, the aircraft would be used to launch nonstop flights to London. “There’s opportunities to grow from Brisbane to the US,” Mr Joyce noted. “There’s potential out of Melbourne [with] the aircraft being able to fly from Melbourne to Dallas or add frequency from Melbourne to LA. Out of Sydney the aircraft could fly to places like Chicago.”