Horn Island and Torres Strait represented on QantasLink aircraft

Passengers travelling on one of the national carrier’s newly arrived regional aircraft will have the chance to fly in a plane blessed by water resembling a mother’s womb.

QantasLink Q400 aircraft named Horn Island. The aircraft was blessed upon its arrival at Horn Island. Picture: Qantas

Passengers travelling on one of the national carrier’s newly arrived regional aircraft will have the chance to fly in a plane blessed by water resembling a mother’s womb, and representing a “minority” Australian community.

Horn Island Ngurupai is the latest regional community to be recognised by QantasLink, which is undergoing a process of fleet renewal as it retires Dash-8 Q300 models, replacing them with midlife Q400s.

The newly named Horn Island aircraft flew to its spiritual home in the Torres Strait on Wednesday for the first time where on arrival it was blessed by the community through a cultural and religious ceremony.

It included a female Kaurareg elder cracking open a coconut on the stairs of the plane, with the showering of the fruit’s juices signalling the aircraft now “had everything it needed to succeed in its journeys”.

QantasLink Q400 aircraft named Horn Island. The aircraft was blessed upon its arrival at Horn Island. Picture: Qantas

“The coconut ceremony is sacred because it produces its own unseen water,” Willie Wigness, a senior Kaurareg elder, said.

“It goes back to the essence of motherhood – how the child is carried in the water of their womb for nine months – unseen water, yet the beauty is that water has everything that child needs to grow.”

Mr Wigness said the seeing his home’s name on the plane was an honour and privelidge.

“You’ve got an internationally-trading company – Qantas – they want to put our name from a small island somewhere in Australia that hasn’t received the respect it deserves – big honour.”

QantasLink Q400 aircraft named Horn Island. The aircraft was blessed upon its arrival at Horn Island. Picture: Qantas

Torres Shire Council mayor Elsie Seriat said “planes were like buses” for the people of the 274 islands.

“We catch them like people catch buses down south,” she said.

“For us catching a plane doesn’t mean a holiday, it means essential service and travel.

“And for our future generations, seeing the name on the side of the plane of a large Australian company means we matter up here. We are a minority within a minority, but this is reconciliation through actions.

QantasLink Q400 aircraft named Horn Island. Picture: Qantas

“This is recognition of how important we stand as a northern gateway to mainland Australia.”

Travelling on the Q400’s first journey to Horn Island was the QantasLink chief executive Rachel Yangoyan with a number of the airline’s executives and staff.

Ms Yangoyan said the airline, which flew between Cairns and Horn Island 36 times per week, had a long affiliation with the community dating back to World War II when the federal government called on the flying kangaroo to conduct evacuations from the remote community.

Between May 14-24 in 1942 the airline operated 18 flights over two weeks to retrieve 78 Australian civilians and military refugees over two weeks.

The airline invited media to Horn Island for the ceremony and then a tour of Thursday Island, which Ms Yangoyan said she hoped would shine a light on the importance of proving vital services.

QantasLink Q400 aircraft named Horn Island. QantasLink chief executive Rachel Yangoyan with staff on the aircraft's first flight from Cairns to Horn Island. Picture: Qantas

“That community is now represented every time that aircraft takes off and flies all around Australia.”

On Thursday Island, a local tour guide explained to QantasLink staff and its guests about the island’s role in border force for Australia from quarantining objects and people to monitoring and directing incoming ships.

The island of about 5000 residents only has about 75 ratepayers – with all other property considered “essential” and therefore government owned, housing public servants across education, health and defence.

The island groups feature a number of tourism offerings from fishing, air and sea tours and individual island tours.

Originally published as Horn Island and Torres Strait represented on QantasLink aircraft