ASL Airlines Australia is scheduled to end its BAe 146 operations for Qantas Freight on 30 October 2026, likely ending the aircraft type’s last regular airline service in Australia. The wet-leased freighters currently operate an east-coast route linking Melbourne and Cairns through Western Sydney, Brisbane and Townsville. Qantas Freight is replacing the capacity with Airbus A321-200P2F aircraft.
ASL operates eight BAe 146s, although most are already parked. Six are configured as freighters and two for passenger operations. The late-October end date has been confirmed internally to pilots and their union, but ASL has not formally announced the fleet’s retirement.
The change follows National Jet Express’s retirement of its BAe 146 fleet in September. Qantas Freight’s expanding in-house A321 freighter fleet has reduced its need for the smaller wet-leased aircraft, while ASL is moving towards Boeing 737 freighter operations. Some BAe 146 pilots could be retained and retrained for the 737 fleet, although the future of the aircraft themselves remains unclear. They could be sold, stored or deployed elsewhere after the Qantas Freight contract ends.