Qantas Retires Last Boeing 717, Ending 20-Year Era in Australia
Qantas has officially retired its last Boeing 717-200 from commercial operations, marking the end of over two decades of service for this aircraft type with the airline. The final flight occurred on October 26, 2024, when VH-YQS (msn 55178) operated QantasLink’s Flight QF1511 from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport to Canberra. The aircraft will be replaced by the Airbus A220-300.
The retired 717-200 has a remarkable service record, having completed approximately 15,000 flights and logged nearly 17,000 flying hours throughout its time with QantasLink. This aircraft was one of the last two 717s in operation for Qantas which was also operated by Cobham Aviation Services Australia – Airline Services (QJE) based at Adelaide International Airport.
The Boeing 717 is an American five-abreast narrow-body airliner produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The twin-engine airliner was developed for the 100-seat market and originally designed, built and marketed by McDonnell Douglas in the early 1990s as the MD-95 until the company merged with Boeing in August 1997.
The 717-200, powered by Rolls-Royce Deutschland BR700 engines, was originally delivered to Midwest Airlines in February 2004. Eventually, it became part of the fleet operated by Cobham Aviation Services on behalf of QantasLink, one of the last bastions of the 717 in Australia. The aircraft type first entered service in Australia with Impulse Airlines in 2000 and transitioned to Qantas subsidiary Jetstar Airways in 2004, where it operated fourteen 717s. As Jetstar began to incorporate Airbus A320-200s into its fleet, the 717s returned to QantasLink’s operations.
The retirement of the 717 from Qantas operations is significant as the aircraft has become a rare sight in Australian skies. Cobham Aviation Services is transitioning to a newer fleet, having started to receive Airbus A220-300 aircraft, the first of which arrived in December 2023. In total, Cobham is set to acquire twenty-nine A220-300s, which will be deployed on regional routes across Australia under the QantasLink brand, indicating a shift towards modern and efficient aircraft for regional service.
As a result of Qantas’ retirement of the 717, the aircraft type is now only in service with two operators worldwide. Delta Air Lines operates a fleet of ninety 717s, with 27 currently inactive. Hawaiian Airlines also continues to fly the 717, with nineteen in service and three currently inactive.
The retirement of the last 717 from Qantas signifies a noteworthy change in the airline’s fleet composition as it moves towards more modern aircraft to enhance operational efficiency and passenger experience.
Related news: https://airguide.info/?s=qantas, https://airguide.info/?s=717
Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com, Qantas.com