Qantas Freight boosts capacity for Christmas rush
To celebrate the season, one of Qantas Freight's freighters has been decorated with a special 'Santa's Freight' livery.

As the Christmas season approaches, Qantas Freight is gearing up to deliver over 50,000 tonnes of international and domestic freight. This year's volumes are expected to increase by five percent compared to last year, driven by the continued growth of online shopping. To meet this demand, Qantas Freight will boost its operations, flying an additional 550 hours across the domestic network in November and December.
The increased capacity will be achieved through additional days of operation across the fleet, adding 3,000 tonnes of domestic capacity. This is equivalent to flying 12,000 fully grown reindeer to cities and regional ports around Australia. To celebrate the festive season, one of Qantas Freight's A321 freighters has been decorated with a special 'Santa's Freight' livery.
The lead-up to Christmas is one of the busiest and most critical times for Qantas Freight's operations. The airline's freight division carries cargo around the world with five international freighters and in passenger aircraft belly space across the Qantas and Jetstar networks. Domestically, Qantas Freight operates 20 freighters, including a core fleet of 12 dedicated freighters for Australia Post, increasing to 16 during the Christmas period.
According to Igor Kwiatkowski, Executive Manager of Qantas Freight, the airline's freight division plays a vital role in connecting Australia to the world during the Christmas season.
“While Santa and his elves have been preparing to fly gifts for kids around the world, Qantas Freight has been busy getting our fleet of freight sleighs ready for the Christmas peak. We’ve increased flying hours, and we’ll have more support, extra capacity, and our very own ‘Santa’s Freight’ aircraft to deliver more than 50 million kilos of freight this Christmas."
"We’ll be spending the next few weeks flying gifts, cards, and perishables like mangoes and prawns across the country and the world, and we’re delighted to play this important role for what is a really special time for families,” Mr. Kwiatkowski said.
On the busiest days leading up to Christmas, Qantas Freight will carry around 1 million kilogrammes of cargo per day, a 70 percent increase from its usual daily uplift. This cargo will include a wide range of goods, such as fresh produce, seafood, beef, pork, lamb, and fresh-cut flowers. Qantas Freight will also transport critical supplies, including aircraft engines, rescue helicopters, and medicines.