DALLAS — Today in Aviation, Qantas (QF) retired its last Boeing 767 in 2014 after 29 years. The final service, between Melbourne (MEL) and Sydney (SYD), was operated by a 767-300ER, VH-OGL, ‘City of Wangaratta,’ and had the unique flight number QF767. The flight was under the command of Captain Mike Galvin, assisted by First Officer Kirrily Zupp. In the cabin, there was a full complement of 254 passengers.
Speaking at the time, QF Head of Flying Operations and Boeing 767 pilot Captain Mike Galvin said, “The 767 has been a staple in the Qantas fleet for more than two decades and is a favorite with both crew and customers. It’s been an extremely reliable aircraft and has served Qantas and our customers very well over the years.”
“While it’s sad to say goodbye, it’s definitely time to retire the 767s as we have been bringing in newer aircraft that are more advanced and fuel efficient. It’s also part of reducing complexity in our fleet by reducing the number of different aircraft types we fly from 11 down to seven.”
QF’s First Wide-Bodied Twin
Dubbed the “workhorse of the fleet,” QF introduced the 767 in 1985, when it received its maiden example, a -200ER (VH-EAJ). The airline put the type to use on its Pacific, Asian and busier domestic routes. A total of 41 767s would be operated, including both the -200 and -300ERs, the latter of which arrived in 1988. Some of these would be delivered directly from Boeing, powered by General Electric CF6 engines. A number also came from British Airways (BA), powered by Rolls-Royce RB211 engines.
The -200s were gradually retired from the fleet in 2003, with all of this variant gone by October 2004. The ex-BA -300ERs were withdrawn in 2013. The CF6-powered examples were upgraded in 2012 with refreshed interiors and the new ‘QStreaming’ in-flight entertainment and were set to remain in service until 2015.
However, the airline had been struggling with increased competition from Virgin Australia (VA) and increased fuel prices and decided to retire the type early.
During its time with QF, the Boeing767 carried almost 168 million passengers on over 927,000 flights, flying more than 1.8 billion kilometers. The aircraft would be replaced by the Airbus A330 and Boeing 737-800.
Featured Image: Boeing 767-338ER (VH-OGL) was honored with operating the final service. Photo: Robert Frola (GFDL or GFDL), via Wikimedia Commons.
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