Qantas has placed an order for six additional Boeing 787-9s.

According to Qantas, the arrival of the new aircraft will enable it to accelerate the retirement of its last six 747-400ERs.

The airline already has four 787-9s in service, with another four arriving by the end of 2018. The six in the new order will start being delivered from late 2019.

“The 787 has better economics and a longer range, and it’s already opened up new routes like Perth to London,” said Alan Joyce, group CEO of Qantas. “With a larger fleet of Dreamliners, we’ll be looking at destinations in the Americas, Asia, South Africa and Europe.”

Qantas has operated the 747 in various forms since 1971, when the airline took delivery of its first 747-200. It introduced the 747SP in 1981, the 747-300 in 1984, the 747-400 in 1989 and the 747-400ER in 2002. There are currently four 747-400s and six 747-400ERs left in the fleet.

“This really is the end of one era and the start of another,” said Joyce. “The jumbo has been the backbone of Qantas International for more than 40 years and we’ve flown almost every type that Boeing built. It’s fitting that its retirement is going to coincide with our centenary in 2020.”

Qantas also expects to invest in an additional 787 simulator to assist with training more of its pilots to operate the new aircraft. The company is scheduled to open its Qantas Group Pilot Academy in 2019.