Qantas Airways has announced a major upgrade of its Boeing 737 cabins to complement the fleet renewal underway.
The airline, which has suffered major perception problems for a range of issues including poor treatment of passengers, said it would introduce a “next-generation in-flight experience” on more domestic and short-haul international flights.
Qantas said 42 of its Boeing 737 aircraft would receive a full cabin overhaul, including:
- Next generation business and economy seats
- Larger overhead lockers with up to 50% more space
- A cabin refresh including new carpets, sidewalls and mood lighting, and
- Continued fast and free Wi-Fi
The 737s operate across Australia, trans-Tasman routes and short-haul international destinations like Bali, Fiji and Vanuatu with the first refurbished aircraft expected to fly in 2027.
CEO Vanessa Hudson said the cabin upgrades complemented the largest fleet renewal program in the airline's history.
“Investing in our fleet is one of the most significant ways that we can transform the flying experience for our customers and make sure we’re consistently delivering a great journey,” Hudson said in a media release.
“As we bring more new aircraft into our fleet, we are also making our existing aircraft look and feel like new.”
Qantas said the upgrades were a critical part of its domestic fleet investment. Under this investment, the new Airbus A321XLR would progressively replace 737s over the next decade and more of the smaller A220s would join the fleet.
Qantas earlier ended a six-year dividend holiday after increasing profit in the first half of the 2025 financial year (FY25).
By 11:30 am AEDT (12:30 am GMT) Qantas (ASX: QAN) shares had risen 62 cents (7.03%) to $9.52, not far short of the record high of $9.64 earlier this month, capitalising the company at $14.39 billion.
