The aircraft is the first of 29 A220s that will slowly take the place of QantasLink’s Boeing 717s. Photo / Abigail Varney, New York Times
The aircraft is the first of 29 A220s that will slowly take the place of QantasLink’s Boeing 717s. Photo / Abigail Varney, New York Times
After spending two weeks in the paint shop at a Canadian Airbus factory, Qantas’ new A220 aircraft’s makeover is complete.
The new QantasLink aircraft has been decorated with blue and green indigenous art, replacing the airline’s signature red. The aeroplane is expected to join the rest of Qantas’ fleet early in 2024 and will fly between Melbourne and Canberra.
It is the first of 29 A220s that will slowly take the place of QantasLink’s Boeing 717s. The new aircraft will be more fuel efficient and have double the range.
Qantas revealed that the rebrand on its first A220 aircraft features the artwork of Pitjantjatjara artist Maringka Baker. The designs will tell the Dreaming story of two sisters who journey across remote Australia together, travelling vast distances while finding their way back home.
The aircraft has been named after the artwork, Minyma Kutjara Tjukurpa, which translates to The Two Sisters Creation Story.
Two of the five aircraft in the series are said to still be flying, which means the new A220 will be the third aircraft in the skies, reports news.com.au.
The design features more than 20,000 dots and was completed by roughly 200 painters. Nearly 130 stencils were used to create the detailed artwork.
Qantas revealed that it was the most complex livery that Airbus has ever designed for this type of aircraft.
Vanessa Hudson, CEO of Qantas Group, said the new aircraft would be revolutionary for domestic and regional flights.
“These aircraft have the potential to change the way our customers travel across the country, with the ability to connect any two cities or towns in Australia,” Hudson said.
The latest Qantas plane to be painted in Aboriginal colours lands at Sydney Airport on November 11, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. Photo / Getty Images
“That means faster and more convenient travel for business trips and exciting new possibilities for holiday travel.
“A whole new fleet type also means a lot of opportunities for our people to operate and look after these aircraft.”
The QantasLink A220 will feature 10 business class seats and 127 economy seats.
Another six aircrafts are set to be delivered by midyear in 2025.
The A220s will mostly travel between smaller capital cities, such as Canberra and Hobart, and the airline’s major airport hubs in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
Social media users flooded Qantas’ Instagram page with comments, gushing about the incredible design and its talented artist.
One user wrote: “The most beautiful plane I have ever seen”, while another said, “Awesomeness!! Another Qantastic moment!!”
One user congratulated the airline, saying: “An amazing piece of flying art - well done Qantas”, while another acknowledged the artist behind the designs, “We’re so proud of Maringka Baker and her beautiful work. Her family and everyone here at @tjungu_palya_arts are so excited about this aircraft!”
Qantas did not reveal whether there were any plans for other future aircraft makeovers in line with its ongoing fleet renewal and Flying Art Series, reports news.com.au.
At the annual Qantas general meeting on November 4, the airline admitted to spending roughly AU$370,000 ($400,000) on supporting the Yes campaign in the lead up to the Voice to Parliament referendum, which didn’t end up going through.
Richard Goyder, a Qantas chairperson, said the airline’s management had made a recommendation to support the Yes campaign, which was led by former CEO Alan Joyce and endorsed by the board.
“The contribution we made was in kind and equal to about $370,000 ($400,000),” he said.
“We knew at the time that there would be a diverse set of views but we felt it was important that we continued to support what we had done for a long period of time in terms of Aboriginal reconciliation.”
In August, the chairman unveiled three aircrafts showing off the Yes23 campaign logo design at Sydney Airport alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
