Major investments in its fleet, lounges and staff have been confirmed by Qantas, with the airline reporting strong financial results as it continues to reshape its operations post-pandemic.The Group delivered an underlying profit of $2.47 billion for FY25, enabling a range of initiatives aimed at improving both customer experience and employee engagement.“Our strong financial performance is enabling significant investment in new aircraft and customer initiatives, helping deliver better operational performance and customer satisfaction across both airlines,” said Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson.The airline has placed an order for 20 additional Airbus A321XLR aircraft, with 16 to be fitted with lie-flat Business class seats. The first two A321XLRs are set to enter service on domestic routes in mid-September, making Qantas the first airline in the Asia Pacific to operate the aircraft type.
“Looking ahead, there is a lot to be excited about,” Hudson said. “This year will see an acceleration of Qantas’ domestic fleet renewal and in the coming years we’ll take delivery of additional A321XLR aircraft fitted with lie-flat Business seats.”Qantas is also making major upgrades to its lounges. New lounges have opened in Adelaide and Broome, while renovations are underway at its Sydney International, Los Angeles Business and Auckland lounges. Hudson said these changes are part of a broader focus on customer experience, which also includes the rollout of fast and free international Wi-Fi on key routes to South East Asia and New Zealand.The airline is also recognising its people. A new employee share plan will provide around 25,000 non-executive staff with $1,000 in Qantas shares each year, based on financial performance. This follows a one-off “Thank You” payment of $1,000 made to the same group in December 2024.“I want to thank our people who serve our customers with passion every day,” said Hudson. “They are the real stars of our performance and we are introducing a new employee share plan so they can share in our success.”Qantas also announced a final dividend of $400 million, bringing total shareholder returns to $800 million for the year.
