Australia Post is taking to the air for deliveries following a major increase in online retailing sales– though delivery at this stage doesn’t involve drones.
OzPost has inked a deal with Qantas that will see the Flying Kangaroo set it up with a fleet of six freighter aircraft featuring OzPost’s “StarTrack” livery. The fleet comprises one Boeing 737-400, two 737-300s and three smaller British Aerospace 146-300 aircraft.
Australia Post CEO Ahmed Fahour said the deal had been driven by the growth of the e-tailing market in Australia, with OzPost now delivering 11 million items each week across its mail, parcels and Express Post operations.
“Online retail sales in the business-to-consumer market are hovering at 6-7 percent of total retail sales in Australia. When I started at Australia Post in 2010 it was only 2-3 percent,” he said. He noted that most products are small, lightweight boxes weighing between 1kg and 1.5kg.
He said having its own dedicated aircraft would allow Australia Post to “fill the planes any way we choose without having to trade off with anyone else”. Drones? Watch this space.
