A new freighter has been added to Australia Post’s fleet to provide critical capacity and flexibility to support growing e-commerce demands during the busy peak Christmas period.

Providing 130 tonnes of capacity each night, Australia Post says the new freighter will initially operate between the east coast and Perth, carrying StarTrack and Express Post parcels.

Operated in partnership with Qantas Freight, the newly converted A330-200P2F aircraft will double the volume of Australia Post’s largest current freighter.

Australia Post states that this investment marks a major milestone in its commitment to enhancing its delivery network and will increase overall peak capacity by 29 per cent.

The new freighter will also support Australia Post in meeting its emissions reductions targets as it continues to modernise its operations.

Australia Post says the new freighter will reduce the postal services’ aircraft emissions by replacing a B737F which will be retired from the fleet.

Producing 42 per cent less carbon emissions per kilogramme of cargo than the B737F, the extensive capacity of the A330 requires less fuel for each parcel carried.

Paul Graham, Australia Post’s chief executive and managing director, said: “Our new A330 freighter delivers increased flexibility within our freighter fleet, creating a sustainable, long-term solution to meet growing customer demand driven by e-commerce.

“This new freighter also builds on our longstanding partnership with Qantas Freight, which operates our existing freighter fleet.”

Graham added: “The new A330 provides a direct boost to our freighter capacity during our busiest time of year, ensuring we are well placed to manage the increased volume expected across the cyber sales period and Christmas.

“Notably, the A330 allows us to further simplify and streamline our services while delivering on our commitment to a more sustainable future.

“The additional capacity of this aircraft allows us to reduce the number of aircraft we have in the air by operating on our largest volume sectors, in turn reducing our carbon footprint and supporting fast and reliable deliveries for our customers.”

During December 2022, Australia Post carried more than nine million kilogrammes via its dedicated freighters and within the aircraft belly hold of commercial flights.

Australia Post has a fleet of 14 dedicated freighter aircraft via its air services partner Qantas Freight.

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