Qantas (QF, Sydney Kingsford Smith) is studying the A350-900(ULR) alongside the B777-8 for its longterm ultra-longhaul needs Qantas Chief Executive, Alan Joyce, has disclosed.

Speaking to the Australian Business Traveller at the recent IATA AGM in Dublin, Joyce said the Australian carrier was currently working on its post-2020 fleeting plans with both Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) and Boeing (BOE, Washington National) offerings under consideration.

"You always look at all the options out there to make sure you're picking the one with the right economics," he said. "And we have a bit of time on this, the B777-8 is not going to be available until 2022-2023, maybe a bit later. And Boeing and Airbus always keep some slots back for big brands like Qantas, so we would be able to get availability when we need it."

Both the A350-900(ULR) and the B777-8 are expected to operate over ranges of up to 16,000km. However, while the B777-8 will be capable of holding 350-375 passengers as compared to the ULR's 300 or so, the ULR is expected to make its commercial debut in 2018 (with Singapore Airlines (SQ, Singapore Changi)) almost four years earlier than its American rival.

In terms of Next Generation widebody aircraft, Qantas is expecting its first of eight B787-9s later next year. They will be used to gradually replace the carrier's remaining fleet of eleven B747-400s.