Qantas seeks suggestions for plane names ahead of first A220 arrivals

The national carrier has chosen a theme and wants the public’s help to name its new aircraft as the fleet renewal program hits a major milestone.

The first Qantas' A220 has begun production at the Airbus facility in Mirabel, Canada where the centre and rear fuselage come together. Picture: Supplied.

Qantas has launched a campaign to name its new planes as the first of the airline’s A220s goes into production at the Airbus facility in Canada.

The 29 next generation A220s will gradually replace QantasLink’s Boeing 717 fleet with the first aircraft to fly between Melbourne and Canberra.

With double the range of B717s, the A220s are expected to be put on short-haul international routes as well as domestic, including Adelaide-Auckland and even Perth-Christchurch.

Ahead of their arrival into Australia, Qantas was seeking public help to name the aeroplanes based on a theme of “native wildlife”.

The airline ran a similar campaign to name its Boeing 787 fleet after Australian icons in 2017 with more than 60,000 submissions received.

Among the suggestions were “cooee”, “yeah nah”, “Don Bradman”, “Kingswood”, “chiko roll” and “Vegemite”.

Following an exhaustive judging process, the 787-9s now have names such as Skippy, quokka, Waltzing Matilda, the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru, along with Dreamtime and Great Southern Land.

Work is underway on the first Qantas' A220 at the Airbus facility in Mirabel, Canada. Picture: Supplied.

QantasLink CEO John Gissing said the airline’s aircraft names had always celebrated what was special about Australia “from its places and pioneers to its natural wonders”.

“Continuing that tradition, we’re naming our A220 fleet after Australia’s unique and rare wildlife,” Mr Gissing said.

“Whether it’s a frilled neck lizard or feathertail glider, an echidna or emu, we want Australians to help choose names that showcase some of our country’s favourite native animals, in addition to the one already on the tail.”

He said the A220 represented the next generation in the domestic fleet in terms of passenger comfort, aircraft range and opportunities for employees.

As well as a longer range than the aircraft they would replace, the A220s used 28 per cent less fuel and carried up to 27 more passengers including 10 in business and 127 in economy.

“It won’t be long until we need to paint the name on the side of these aircraft, and we want all Australians to help us choose what we call them,” said Mr Gissing.

Qantas’ new planes will bear the names of native wildlife, such as the frilled neck lizard. Picture: Ken Leanfore/Destination NSW

Suggestions could be made at qantas.com/a220name by August 8, 2023.

Each entry could put forward up to six names, with Qantas to release a shortlist in a couple of months before announcing the winners.

The tradition of naming planes in the Qantas fleet dated back to the 1920s, when the first aircraft were christened “Pegasus”, “Perseus” and “Iris”.

Other aeroplanes including 737-800s were given the names of Australian towns and cities while Qantas’s now retired 747 fleet adopted bird names such as kookaburra, brolga and lorikeet.

A380s were emblazoned with the names of pioneering Australian aviators including Nancy Bird-Walton and Reginald Ansett.