Qantas Group considering Beijing, India, Hong Kong and Berlin as potential 787-9 destinations

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce reiterated that the Boeing 787 will form the backbone of the carrier's future international fleet, noting the carrier will look to expand its international network, possibly including direct services to Beijing and India (ausbt.com.au, 31-Mar-2013). Mr Joyce said the 787-9, for which the carrier has 50 options, would "open up a range of routes." He added: "We're talking about opportunities for us to re-enter Beijing, India and (add) more frequencies to Singapore and Hong Kong... and we're working through the numbers on those." He also said: "We're continuing to talk to Emirates about opportunities in continental Europe, and Berlin is one of them. As this partnership is bedded down we'll be looking at opportunities for both airlines to expand their networks." Mr Joyce however said: "We're not at the moment firming up the options. We have a bit of time before we have to make that decision and commit to the aircraft". Jetstar has 14 787-8s on order, with the first delivery expected in 2H2013.