Qantas orders eight Boeing B787-9s to replace B747s

Four of the B787-9s will arrive in 2018 and the other four in 2019, with the airline retaining six reconfigured B747s. Each of the red-tailed Boeing 787s will be fitted with "approximately 250 seats," Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said. Joyce also confirmed the 787-9s would include a premium economy cabin along with business class and economy class. Joyce continued, "This milestone acquisition marks the scale of our turnaround and looks ahead to a new era for our iconic international airline... We have looked closely at every aspect of the Dreamliner and it’s the right aircraft for Qantas' future. The key reason we chose this particular aircraft is its incredible efficiency. Its new technology will reduce fuel burn, cut heavy maintenance requirements and open up new destinations around the globe. Because the 787 is smaller than the jumbos it will gradually replace, it gives us the flexibility of having more aircraft without significantly changing our overall capacity."