The Qantas Group has marked the end of an era after its last remaining QantasLink Boeing 717 jet flew for the final time.
Flight QF1511 departed Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) on October 26, 2024 at approximately 17:06 local time and arrived at Canberra Airport (CBR) at 18:08.
Before its final flight, the aircraft, ‘Great Otway National Park’ (with registration VH-YQS), flew between Sydney, Launceston Airport (LST) and Canberra during the day.
During almost 11 years with Qantas, ‘Great Otway National Park’ flew more than 15,000 flights, over 17,000 flight hours and safely carried more than one million customers for QantasLink.
Qantas said that the aircraft will spend the next few weeks on the ground in Canberra, ahead of its retirement in November 2024.
The B717s, which have flown with QantasLink and Jetstar for more than 20 years, were popular for their ability to deliver on high-frequency short to medium routes and serve smaller ports, while carrying around 100 passengers.
The B717s are now gradually being replaced by next-generation Airbus A220 aircraft.
With four currently flying for QantasLink, the next A220 to arrive is the ‘Tasmanian Devil’, scheduled to enter into service by the end of 2024.
“As we farewell the Boeing 717 in Australia and the end of an era, we are excited about the future of the QantasLink jet flying onboard the A220 aircraft,” QantasLink Chief Executive Officer Rachel Yangoyan said in a statement. “We’re already getting great feedback from customers and our crew about their experience onboard the A220 aircraft.”
Yangoyan added: “With almost double the range, lower emissions per seat and a more comfortable inflight experience, the A220s will allow us to deliver the next generation of flying for our customers and our people.”
The next generation A220 has the capacity for 137 passengers across two cabins, with 10 Business seats in a 2-2 configuration and 127 seats in Economy in a 2-3 configuration.