Qantas Group has retired its final B767 type, with subsidiary Express Freighters Australia (QE, Sydney Kingsford Smith) operating the last revenue flight for Qantas Freight on May 17 using VH-EFR (msn 33510). The B767-300F worked flight QF7526 for Qantas Freight from Hong Kong International to Sydney. Qantas Group had operated B767s since 1985, with passenger services ceasing in 2014.
Qantas had a total of 41 passenger-configured B767s in its fleet over the years. VH-EFR had flown Qantas Freight services since 2011 but was made redundant with the arrival of two A330-200(P2F)s and more fuel-efficient A321-200(P2F)s. The group will also retire its sole remaining B737-300(F) and B737-400(SF), also operated by Express Freighters for Qantas Freight, later in the year.
The retirement of VH-EFR leaves just two B767 types, both B767-300Fs, based in Australia, with Tasman Cargo Airlines (HJ, Sydney Kingsford Smith) using VH-EXZ (msn 37808) and VH-XQU (msn 37806) to fly freight on behalf of DHL International. Qantas Group is anticipating delivery of one more A330F and four more A321Fs in the short to medium term, taking the fleet tally to three A330-200(P2F)s and nine A321-200(P2F)s. Qantas freight operations also rely on two B747-400FSCDs wet-leased from Atlas Air (5Y, New York JFK), three BAe 146-200(QT)s and two BAe 146-300(QT)s wet-leased from Pionair Australia (Sydney Bankstown), one BAe 146-300(QT) wet-leased from National Jet Express (JTE, Adelaide International), and a Saab 340(F) wet-leased from Pel-Air Aviation (PFY, Sydney Kingsford Smith).
