Qantas has taken delivery of its maiden Airbus A220 aircraft. These aircraft will replace the older Boeing B717s in the Qantas fleet.
First A220 for QantasLink
QantasLink has taken delivery of its first Airbus A220 aircraft, marking the start of the fleet renewal program which will see the B717s and B737s getting replaced by A220s and A320 family aircraft respectively.
The first A220 for QantasLink a special indigenous livery. It is the first of 29 A220s that will be delivered to QantasLink.
The QantasLink A220s will have 137 seats across two classes of service – 10 Business Class seats and 127 standard Economy Class seats. The A220
The A220s have double the range of the Boeing B717s they replace, giving them the ability to fly non-stop between any two points in Australia. As the first aircraft of their type in Australia, the aircraft are expected to open up new (direct) domestic and short-haul international routes as more enter the fleet.
We couldn’t be more excited to welcome this new A220 aircraft, along with the benefits it will bring to our customers and career opportunities for our people. The size and range of the A220 means we can add new direct routes to our network that may not have been commercially viable before. More fuel efficient aircraft is one way we’re working towards net zero and the A220 generates around 25 per cent fewer carbon emissions than the previous generation as well as being much quieter.
said Vanessa Hudson, CEO, Qantas Group.
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As the first A220 to be operated in Australia, the aircraft, registered as VH-X4A, will undergo regulatory approvals, airport readiness and crew familiarisation and training activities before it commences flying on the Melbourne-Canberra route in the first quarter of 2024. A dedicated A220 flight simulator for pilot training is based in Melbourne.
The aircraft rolled out of the paint shop last month with a complex livery as the latest addition to Qantas’ longstanding Flying Art Series. Qantas worked with Leading Indigenous Australian design agency, Balarinji, the Copyright Agency and Tjungu Palya Art Centre to reproduce senior Pitjantjatjara artist Maringka Baker’s painting Minyma Kutjara Tjukurpa (Two Sisters Creation Story) for the aircraft.
The striking livery captured the attention of customers, employees and aviation enthusiasts around the world and we are proud that our first A220 aircraft continues our decades long tradition of showcasing First Nations art and culture through the Flying Art series.
Hudson added.
The second A220 for QantasLink is currently on the final assembly line and will be delivered in January 2024. Another five A220s are scheduled to be delivered between January 2024 and mid-2025.
Featured image by Qantas
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[…] of its Airbus A220 aircraft, which are scheduled to enter service shortly. The airline has already taken delivery of two A220s, with 27 more to go. These aircraft will replace the ageing Boeing B717 fleet of […]