Australian Aviation

Flight QF1511 from Sydney touched down in Canberra at 6:08pm on Saturday aboard the 20-year-old aircraft VH-YQS. QantasLink was one of the world’s last three commercial operators of the 717, which it has now phased out in favour of its new Airbus A220-300 fleet.

Current Qantas captain Gary Criddle, 72, had an extraordinary career that saw him fly 747s and A380s for the Flying Kangaroo, but also fly for the RAAF and RAN, as well as being part of the Roulettes display team.

The aerospace giant’s CEO, Kelly Ortberg, appeared to commit to the commercial crew program, arguing that it wouldn’t be “a viable option” to walk away from so-called fixed-price programs.

In an opening address to the airline’s AGM, John Mullen acknowledged that 2023 was a “very difficult year” but insisted the difficulties and reputational damage are being “comprehensively addressed”.

Launched on international earlier in July, there are four times as many ‘Classic Plus’ seats available compared to the original ‘Classic Rewards’ seats. However, Plus seats usually cost more and their point prices can vary depending on how in-demand they are.  

The aerospace giant has produced a total of eight MQ-28A prototype aircraft, with three Block 2 variants currently in production.