Qantas boosts international capacity, wet lease Finnair aircraft

[evanb]

Finnair A330s operated by Qantas. First route scheduled SYD-HNL from 30 March 2026:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1921800716013674557

 

[dairyfloss]

Finnair A330s operated by Qantas. First route scheduled SYD-HNL from 30 March 2026:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1921800716013674557

Noooooooooo!!! Actually HA will be in OW by then too, so can switch to them for proper J seats

 

[justinbrett]

Noooooooooo!!! Actually HA will be in OW by then too, so can switch to them for proper J seats

If it's the HA A330 seats then I beg to differ.

The 80s called, they want their business seats back!

 

[dairyfloss]

If it's the HA A330 seats then I beg to differ.

The 80s called, they want their business seats back!

Yeah, was thinking about the 787 hard product. They said last year amongst all the updates that they were planning to put them on AU routes, but nothing as yet that I can recall in terms of that firming up.

 

[justinbrett]

Yeah, was thinking about the 787 hard product. They said last year amongst all the updates that they were planning to put them on AU routes, but nothing as yet that I can recall in terms of that firming up.

I flew them AKL-HNL-LAS in December and it was the old A330 on both routes.

Better than economy for sure but not competitive for modern business class. I also thought their J catering was not competitive.

 

[moa999]

Finnair A330s operated by Qantas. First route scheduled SYD-HNL from 30 March 2026:

Isn't it now (or becoming in Sept 2025) a singular plane lease, after the other one was terminated recently.

 

[evanb]

Isn't it now (or becoming in Sept 2025) a singular plane lease, after the other one was terminated recently.

Well it's down to one right now?

But no, conceptually, both 291 (SYD-SIN) and 295 (SYD-BKK) are in the schedule through end of NW25/26 (end of March 2026) at which point both aircraft are due to revert to a dry lease operated by QF. Even if the wet lease is reduced to one aircraft, word on the street is that one will revert to a dry lease operated by QF earlier. In fact, QF are trying to increase the number of Finnair A330 they take on the dry lease.

Some of the reporting on it seems to be Finnair playing hardball with the pilots union rather than definitive action in September. Suspect some of the reporting is jumping the gun.

 

[Himeno]

Isn't it now (or becoming in Sept 2025) a singular plane lease, after the other one was terminated recently.

It doesn't seem clear from current reporting if this reduction in the wet lease flying will also result in a reduction of one aircraft for the dry lease.
The date that Finnair has given to start furloughing flight crew matches the date that the lease is due to become dry.

 

[elanshin]

It doesn't seem clear from current reporting if this reduction in the wet lease flying will also result in a reduction of one aircraft for the dry lease.
The date that Finnair has given to start furloughing flight crew matches the date that the lease is due to become dry.

Whilst that's true, given that there's reports of Qantas trying to get the other 6 AY a330s i'd be surprised if QF doesn't take both currently into dry lease.

 

[bjm76]

Whilst that's true, given that there's reports of Qantas trying to get the other 6 AY a330s i'd be surprised if QF doesn't take both currently into dry lease.

Thats really interesting, do we know how credible this is?