Qantas to Buy Dreamliners, Return Capital as Profit Rebounds

Qantas Airways Ltd. said it would buy eight Boeing Co. Dreamliners and return A$505 million ($371 million) to shareholders as it posted its strongest full-year earnings since Alan Joyce took the helm in 2008.

Earnings before tax and one-time items were A$975 million in the 12 months ended June 30, Qantas said in a statement Thursday. That compares with a A$646 million loss a year earlier, and was narrowly below analyst estimates.