Qantas Retires Final Boeing 717 Aircraft

‍DALLAS — Qantas (QF) has retired its last Boeing 717, which temporarily entered service at the end of 2024. Meanwhile, it incorporated Airbus A220-300 models into its fleet.

The aircraft (registration VH-YQW) landed in Brisbane (BNE) on December 30. It has been donated to an aviation school and will reportedly be used for training and education.

The Boeing 717, which was supposed to be retired in October 2024, was briefly returned to service in November last year - while newer A220-300 aircraft were being entered into the QF fleet.  

After VH-YQW ended its “final flying days” at the end of October, it returned to the skies in early November before making its final flight to BNE in late December. Its service return was necessary to integrate new A220s into QF’s domestic fleet.

Qantas Domestic Fleet

In October 2024, QantasLink announced it would discontinue operating the Boeing 717 after more than two decades in service with the Qantas Group. The first two of 29 Airbus A220s entered service with QF in March last year. 

Another four aircraft are scheduled to be delivered to QF by mid-2025. The A220 offers various benefits for QF. These aircraft offer almost double the range, lower emissions per seat, and a more comfortable passenger experience than the 717.

The 717 first entered the QF fleet after the QF Group acquired former Impulse Airways (VQ) in 2001. Impulse had operated low-cost flights on trunk routes within Australia with its Beechcraft 1900D and Boeing 717 fleet. QF acquired VQ in 2001 to form the basis of Qantas's new regional airline, Qantaslink.

QantasLink CEO Rachel Yangoyan said the 717 had a long history with QF. The aircraft launched airline partner Jetstar’s inaugural services in 2004. QantasLink was one of the last three commercial airlines worldwide to operate the 717. The aircraft could carry around 100 passengers on flights and was widely used for regional services.

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