More leg room: Qantas reveals first pictures of new aircraft interiors

New pictures have revealed the interior of the new Airbus Qantas will secure for direct Australian domestic and short-haul international routes.

The first Airbus A321XLR will arrive in Australia in 2025 and more will follow over the next three years to replace the carrier's Boeing 737 fleet for flights to southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands.

Passengers will have more leg room on economy and business class seats, as well as higher ceilings and more overhead baggage room for a more comfortable flight.

"The new fleet will offer a more comfortable flying experience for customers with a quieter cabin, deliver more reliable operations and generate fewer emissions per seat than the aircraft they replace," the company's website states.

Economy seats will be wider than the 737 with extra seat cushioning. Larger overhead bins will allow for 60 per cent more bags.

There will be 197 seats for passengers across two cabins, with 20 business seats in a 2-2 configuration and 177 economy seats in a 3-3 configuration.

Business class will offer a 37-inch seat pitch and 5-inch seat recline, wireless charging pads, and economy will offer a 30-inch seat pitch and dual USB A and USB C charging ports.

All passengers will be able to access free WiFi allowing them to stay connected across multiple devices, and Qantas stated the new aircraft would offer an improved Qantas Entertainment App for streaming content on their own devices.

Qantas said the new Airbus will allow the carrier to offer non-stop routes not possible on board the existing Boeing 737s - but these routes are yet to be revealed.

The fleet will be named after great Australian roads, rivers and walks and the first will be called Great Ocean Road.

Qantas profits fell 28.3 per cent to $1.25 billion in the 2024 financial year, which the carrier claimed was due to airfare decreases amid competition in the aftermath of the pandemic.

A new carrier, Koala Airlines, is set to go head-to-head with Qantas and Virgin in the domestic space. The Melbourne-based company plans to fly Boeing 737s and would use AI to streamline operations, which it claims would lead to cost savings.

"This platform represents a significant leap forward in leveraging AI to optimise every facet of aviation business, from logistics and maintenance to customer service and beyond," the Koala Airlines website states.

The Australian Airports Association has highlighted the need for new entrants in the domestic airline sector to drive down prices, and head of policy and advocacy Natalie Heazlewood said more competition means lower airfares.