Qantas will equip 16 of its future Airbus A321XLRs and additional Boeing 787-9s with new Business Class suites, with the first A321XLRs carrying the upgraded cabin due to enter service in 2028. The A321XLR will become the first Qantas narrowbody aircraft to feature lie-flat Business seating, while the 787-9 will gain a revised suite with a sliding privacy door for the first time on the airline’s Dreamliner fleet.
The A321XLR product uses a 1-1 angled herringbone layout, giving each passenger direct aisle access and a private suite. Reported features include 19-inch entertainment screens, wireless and USB-C charging, free Wi-Fi and dedicated storage. Qantas has not identified the first routes to receive the new cabin, though the aircraft are expected to support domestic, transcontinental and short- to medium-haul international flying, including longer services to Perth.
The updated 787-9 suite is an evolution of Qantas’s existing Business seat and is designed around an 80-inch lie-flat bed, a 19-inch screen and improved storage. The move gives the carrier a more consistent premium offering across future long-haul and medium-haul aircraft, as it continues to refresh its widebody and narrowbody fleet.