Qantas’ First Airbus A321XLRs Prepare to Take Flight
- Joe Breitfeller

- Sep 12
- 2 min read
Qantas has today announced that their first two Airbus A321XLRs, Great Ocean Road (VH-OGA) and Outback Way (VH-OGB), will enter passenger revenue service on Thursday, September 25, 2025.

On Friday (September 12, 2025), Qantas announced the opening of commercial bookings on their first two Airbus A321XLRs, Great Ocean Road (VH-OGA) and Outback Way (VH-OGB). The new aircraft will enter passenger revenue service on Thursday, September 25th with flights from Sydney to Perth and Melbourne. Compared to the Boeing 737s they will replace, the A321XLRs will offer a more comfortable flying experience, with wider seats, larger windows, fast, free Wi-Fi and overhead bins that can accommodate around 60 percent more bags.
In Friday’s announcement, Qantas Domestic’s CEO, Markus Svensson, said,
“The inaugural commercial flight will take off from Sydney for Perth, giving customers the very first taste of the comfort, space and connectivity these aircraft bring. These next generation aircraft mark an exciting new chapter for Qantas. We know many of our customers have been waiting for the opportunity to fly onboard these new aircraft, just as our teams have been looking forward to flying them. The extended flight range will also enable us to operate these aircraft on both domestic and short haul international routes, including destinations across South East Asia and the Pacific Islands that are not currently viable with our current narrowbody fleet.”
Qantas Airbus A321XLR Fact Sheet - Courtesy Qantas

Recently, Qantas’ third A321XLR aircraft, Seven Peaks Walk (VH-OGC), rolled out of the paint shop in Hamburg, and is scheduled to be delivered in November. By the end of the current financial year, Qantas expects to have seven of the type in their fleet. Qantas has expanded their total A321XLR order to 48 aircraft, 16 of which will feature lie-flat Business seats and seatback IFE screens. These specially configured aircraft will serve longer routes, including transcontinental services to and from Perth, as well as short and medium-haul international routes.
Source: Qantas






