Qantas has announced a major cabin upgrade for its Airbus A330 fleet, with new Economy seats and larger entertainment screens fitted as part of a multimillion-dollar refurbishment program. The refreshed cabin will be fitted to ten of Qantas’ sixteen Airbus A330-200 aircraft that operate to key international destinations such as Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
The new economy seats have been designed with comfort in mind, and feature contoured side-bolsters, a foot net and a six-way adjustable headrest. Qantas claims to have put in significant effort to test seat ergonomics, lumbar support, and breathability of seat fabrics for these new Economy seats.
The 13.3” seatback screen is also 20% larger than Qantas’ current A330 Economy screen and can display 4K content. Fast charging USB-C is available, as well as the option to Bluetooth personal headphones to the seatback screen.
If the designs look familiar, these are in fact the same Recaro CL3810 seats that will be fitted to Qantas’ incoming A350s, which are set to operate non-stop Project Sunrise flights to London and New York.
Beyond the new seating, the A330 refurbishment will include updated mood lighting, fresh curtains and carpet as well as updates to the curtained-off crew rest seats.
In Business Class, Qantas will retain the same seats that debuted ten years ago in 2014, which aren’t the widest for sleep and don’t offer privacy doors like most premium cabins found onboard leading airlines.
Based on the A330 Business renders provided by Qantas, there are a few very minor updates to the seat, with refreshed fabric seat covers, headrest kangaroo logo removal, an updated wooden divider between all middle aisle seats and a new reading light. As Economy gets fancy 4K screens with Bluetooth connectivity, as well as fast-charging USB-C, it would be disappointing if Qantas fails to bring those enhancements to the expensive seats.
Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace explained that the A330 cabin investment would improve the passenger experience while the airline awaits its brand-new aircraft.
“We’ve used our fleet renewal program to completely rethink the inflight experience and these cabin upgrades mean we can bring next-generation features and designs to our existing aircraft,”
“Customers can look forward to brand new Economy seats that have been specially created to maximise comfort and provide features that our customers want for international travel,” adds Mr Wallace.
Cabin updates for the first A330 are expected to commence from mid-2025 at Qantas’ Brisbane maintenance facility, with the first refurbished aircraft entering service by the end of 2025. The refurbishment program is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
As part of its broader fleet renewal plan, Qantas will progressively replace its A330 aircraft with newer jets, including 12 Airbus A350s and 12 Boeing 787s, starting from FY27. These next-generation aircraft will allow Qantas to operate longer routes and open up new international destinations.
Qantas International WiFi Takes Wing
In addition to cabin upgrades, Qantas has started to install WiFi connectivity across its Airbus A330 fleet. At publishing, three of Qantas’ long-haul configured A330-200s have Wi-Fi installed, with passengers flying on activated aircraft able to connect to the fast and free service.
All international A330-200s are expected to have WiFi by March 2025, with existing Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A380 next in line for installation. Qantas’ incoming Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 aircraft will have WiFi installed before delivery.
The Flying Kangaroo claims their international WiFi will offer a similar experience to the domestic product, with enough bandwidth for every passenger to enjoy a fast and consistent connection.
