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Qantas has finally stopped operating its 717s months after the last aircraft was quietly brought out of a high-profile retirement.
The resurrected 18-year-old plane, VH-YQW, had been operating between Canberra and Melbourne since mid-December, but on Monday flew to Brisbane, where it’s speculated it will be gifted to an aviation school.
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Australian Aviation’s Craig Murray was at the Queensland capital to capture its last touchdown, ending more than 24 years of Boeing 717 operations in Australia.
The final flight of the type was meant to be on 26 October 2024, with the Flying Kangaroo marking the end of an era and aviation influencers onboard the final service operated by VH-YQS.
However, while VH-YQS did depart shortly afterwards to the Victorville desert boneyard in California, VH-YQW flew to Western Australia on 5 November to operate the Perth–Paraburdoo service, reportedly to support subsidiary Network Aviation.
Then, on 27 November, it flew to Canberra to fly domestic services, with speculation the decision was made to smooth the introduction of the 717s replacement, the A220-300.
Qantas’ fifth new A220, VH-X4E, later arrived on 5 December – captured by Australian Aviation’s Victor Pody, below – allowing the ageing 717 fleet to be phased out.
QantasLink CEO Rachel Yangoyan said earlier this year the “iconic T-shaped tail” had “a long history in Qantas and Jetstar’s fleet”.
“From being the aircraft that launched Jetstar’s first-ever flights in 2004 to serving major cities, regional towns and the mining sector in the West as part of QantasLink for more than 20 years, we know our people and customers have loved flying on the 717,” she said.
The 717 will be remembered as one of the most important aircraft to establish Qantas’ dominance over the Australian market.
At the end of 2023, the aircraft type had completed more than 29,000 flights and carried more than 1.6 million customers across both Jetstar and QantasLink.
Purchased from Impulse in 2000, it helped launch the QantasLink brand the following year before doing the same for Jetstar in 2004.
Jetstar finally defeated rival Tigerair when the brand was discontinued in 2020 after parent company Virgin collapsed into administration.
The A220-300s, meanwhile, have 25 per cent more seats (137 compared to 110 on the 717), twice the range, and 28 per cent lower fuel burn per seat. The first A220, VH-X4A, arrived in Australia in December 2023.
Michael Pilling
says:She said that as if Qantas dominance over the Australian market was a good thing. It absolutely isn’t.
Campbell Hunt
says:The legacy of the Boeing 717 should be tied in with its timelessly designed and engineered direct predecessor, the Douglas DC-9, of which 24 flew for TAA and Ansett-ANA (and 2 for IPEC) from 1967. That is a 57 year association with Australian airlines, probably only equivalently matched by the DC-3. Surely one could be retained for a museum?
[email protected]
says:It would me more appropriate for it to be gifted to the Qantas Founders Museum where it can be preserved and displayed for future generations to experience.