Qantas plane you won’t ever see again
Aussies will no longer see this iconic Qantas plane as the last remaining aircraft recently took to the skies for the final time.
Aussies will no longer see the iconic T-shaped Qantas tail planes as the last remaining QantasLink aircraft took to the skies for the final time over the weekend.
The Boeing 717 dubbed ‘Great Otway National Park’ made its final landing in Canberra at 6pm on Saturday after completing more than 15,000 flights, over 17,000 flight hours and carrying more than one million customers for QantasLink over the past 11 years.
It will spend the next few weeks on the ground in Canberra ahead of its retirement in November.
The Boeing 717s have flown for QantasLink and Jetstar for more than 20 years carrying around 100 passengers. They were popular for their ability to deliver on high-frequency short to medium routes and serve smaller ports.
However, the fleet of 20 QantasLink 717 aircraft are being replaced by 29 new fuel-efficient Airbus A220s as part of the Qantas Group’s fleet renewal program – aimed at reshaping its domestic and regional network over the next decade.
“The 717 aircraft have a long history in Qantas and Jetstar’s fleet. From being the aircraft that launched Jetstar’s first ever flights in 2004 to serving major cities, regional towns and the mining sector in the West as part of QantasLink for more than 20 years, we know our people and customers have loved flying on the 717,” QantasLink chief executive officer Rachel Yangoyan said.
“As we farewell the Boeing 717 in Australia and the end of an era, we are excited about the future of QantasLink jet flying on-board the A220 aircraft.”
Ms Yangoyan said they’re already getting positive feedback from customers and crew about their experience on-board the A220 aircraft.
“With almost double the range, lower emissions per seat and a more comfortable in-flight experience, the A220s will allow us to deliver the next generation of flying for our customers and our people,” she added.
With four A220s currently flying for QantasLink, the next A220 to arrive the ‘Tasmanian Devil’ and is scheduled to enter into service by the end of the year.
The A220 will service 137 passengers across two cabins, with 10 Business seats in a 2-2 configuration and 127 seats in Economy in a 2-3 configuration.
It has the largest windows of any single aisle aircraft including 20 per cent more overhead locker space and free Wi-Fi.
It comes as Qantas revealed it is also upgrading the economy cabin on its Airbus A330s with newly designed seats, bigger entertainment touchscreens, USB-C fast charging and Bluetooth audio connectivity so passengers can use their own headphones.
“Ten of our A330s will undergo a cabin refurbishment from next year and be fitted with our next-generation economy seats that will be on our Sunrise aircraft,” CEO Vanessa Hudson told shareholders at Qantas’ annual general meeting on Friday.
The Airbus A330s operate international flights to Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo.
The first refurbished aircraft is expected to enter service by the end of next year and all 10 aircraft are expected to be refurbished by the end of 2026.
The new economy seats will be the same as those featured on Qantas’ ultra long haul A350-1000ULR aircraft, giving customers a preview of what to expect during the Project Sunrise flying experience.
The first Project Sunrise aircraft is scheduled to arrive in mid-2026, which will operate flights from Sydney to London and New York.
– with Chantelle Francis
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