Qantas unveils patriotic new livery as brand rebuild continues under Vanessa Hudson

After the divisive disaster of Qantas’s ‘yes’ logo during the voice campaign last year, the airline is confident a new patriotic slogan plastered on planes will garner support from travellers.

Qantas has added a new logo to the side of its 787-9s which should prove less divisive than last year's support for the voice referendum. Picture: Qantas

After the divisive disaster of Qantas’s “yes” logo during the voice campaign last year, the airline is confident a new slogan will garner more support from travellers.

“Go Australia” has been added to the livery of a Boeing 787-9 in support of the Olympians and Paralympians heading to the Paris games.

A Qantas statement said the graphic had been “specially created to showcase Australian pride on an international stage and capture the essence of the green and gold spirit”.

Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson said the flying kangaroo and Australia’s Olympic team had more than 70 years of shared history, after first carrying athletes to the 1948 London Games.

“We’re also proud our engineers designed custom cushions and support devices for our Paralympians to travel comfortably on long-haul sectors,” said Ms Hudson.

Members of Australia’s Olympic and Paralympics team with a Qantas 787 emblazoned with Go Australia. Picture: Qantas

The unveiling of the logo came after incoming chairman John Mullen told a corporate lunch, high profile companies had done themselves a “bit of a disservice” by strongly supporting the voice.

“In retrospect, the broader business community was seen by a lot of people in Australia as high and mighty and telling us what we should do,” he told The Australian after his speech.

As well as providing free flights for members of the yes campaign, Qantas plastered three aircraft with “yes” decals in a move that was questioned by staff and travellers.

Despite his views on the handling of the voice referendum, Mr Mullen said he did not believe companies should avoid any involvement in social issues.

“It is about getting that balance right which is not easy,” he said.

Mr Mullen will begin his role as Qantas chairman on July 1 following the earlier than planned departure of Richard Goyder.

Mr Goyder came under enormous pressure to resign last year, after Qantas lurched from one crisis to another resulting in the early exit of former CEO Alan Joyce.

Since Mr Joyce left, Ms Hudson has made a tremendous effort to reshape Qantas’ image from “corporate bully” to inclusive national carrier.

The incoming chair of Qantas John Mullen says corporate Australia did itself a disservice by supporting the voice referendum. Picture: NCA Newswire/Gaye Gerard

Qantas will begin non-stop Perth-Paris flights from July 12, in order to deliver Australian athletes to the Olympic city ahead of the Games’ opening on July 26.

Australian Olympic team chef de mission for Paris, Anna Meares welcomed Qantas’ ongoing support for Australian athletes.

“We are thrilled Qantas will be proudly sharing their support of Australian Olympians on their 787 Dreamliner,” said Ms Meares.

“As an Olympian, flying on that Qantas plane home from a Games, to meet friends and family in the Qantas hangar welcome home, is such a special memory. I’m looking forward to our 2024 Olympic Team making their own Qantas memories on their journey to and from the Paris Games.”

Australian Paralympic Team Chef de Mission Kate McLoughlin said Qantas had delivered Paralympians home from London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 (2021) and they were thrilled the team would again be returned home by Qantas after the Paris paralympics.

Originally published as Qantas unveils patriotic new livery as brand rebuild continues under Vanessa Hudson