In an emotional and historic moment, today marks the end of an era for QantasLink as the airline retires its last Boeing 717-200 aircraft from commercial service. Aviation enthusiasts, QantasLink crew and loyal passengers gathered today to witness this landmark flight and celebrate the legacy of the Boeing 717.
Qantas has ordered 29 brand-new fuel-efficient Airbus A220 aircraft to replace their previous 20 Boeing 717 jets, as part of the Project Winton fleet renewal program. But the 717’s impact will remain part of QantasLink’s history in helping the airline to solidify its commitment to serving regional Australia across its more than two-decade tenure.
Join Flight Hacks onboard the last ever QantasLink Boeing 717 passenger flight, QF1511 from Sydney to Canberra on 26 October 2024.
In this post:
Looking Back At The Boeing 717 In Australia
The Boeing 717 began life as the MD-95, a design by American aircraft manufacturer McDonnell Douglas, intended as a shorter variant of the MD-90, which itself was an update of the MD-80 series. This family of aircraft earned the nickname “Mad Dog” for not only their MD initials but also the incredibly noisy and rocket-like takeoff.
Following McDonnell Douglas’s merger with Boeing in 1997, the MD-95 was rebranded as the Boeing 717, with the first of the type delivered in 1999. All up, Boeing produced a total of 155 Boeing 717 jets, until shutting down production 2006.
In June 2000, Impulse Airlines became the first Australian carrier to operate the 717, commencing operations as a budget airline operating between Sydney and Melbourne, before expanding to include the likes of Brisbane, Newcastle and Hobart.
Less than a year later in April 2001, Impulse and Qantas struck up a wet lease agreement, whereby Impulse operated Qantas services, with a further option for Qantas to buy out the company. Qantas exercised that option in November 2001, when Impulse and its eight-strong 717 fleet was absorbed into QantasLink.
When Jetstar was born in 2004, Qantas’ budget carrier also briefly flew these ex-Impulse Airlines Boeing 717s.
Fast forward to 2013, and Qantas installed Business Class on five Boeing 717 (VH-YQS/T/U/V/W) aircraft, deploying them on capital city routes including Canberra-Sydney and Hobart-Melbourne.
Why QantasLink Is Retiring The Boeing 717
Flight Hacks sat down with QantasLink CEO Rachel Yangoyan before the final Boeing 717 flight this afternoon. Yangoyan reflected on the significance of the 717’s retirement and shared her vision for QantasLink’s future in regional Australia.
“It really is the end of an era, so it’s sort of bittersweet,” Yangoyan shared. “I reflect on how important and incredible this aircraft has been for Australian aviation. The 717 has been a real workhorse, and it’s been around for 20 years in The Qantas Group, flying under QantasLink and Jetstar.”
Although nostalgic about the 717’s legacy, Yangoyan voiced her enthusiasm for Qantas’ future, viewing the retirement of the jet as a key milestone in the airline’s fleet modernisation efforts. While the 717 hasn’t been operationally reliable for QantasLink in recent years, Yangoyan emphasized that this retirement was a carefully planned step.
“As they age, there are always further challenges in keeping aircraft reliability to a level that our customers expect of us. We are focused on addressing that through our fleet renewal program.”
When asked about the fate of the Boeing 717, eighteen of which are sitting in the Victorville aircraft graveyard, Ms Yangoyan confirmed that it was still Qantas’ intention to eventually sell the aircraft to a major US carrier, as announced in May 2023.
“There’s always lots of options when you retire a fleet, but these aircraft have gone to Victorville ahead of being sold to a US carrier.”
Looking to the future, Yangoyan expressed optimism about the potential of the new A220, “There are so many different things that go into bringing a new fleet into service, and the opportunities they provide for our people and our customers are huge”.
“What excites me is the capability of the A220, but also for the domestic fleet, the capability that we’ll have with not just the 220, but the Q400s and the A321XLRs. With those aircraft, we really will have the ability to have the right aircraft serving the right route, while being able to adapt to changes in the market.”
Onboard The Final QantasLink 717 Flight
The Boeing 717 has always remained a special aircraft to me, being a jet that I saw regularly growing up in Hobart, and often marking the beginning of an international getaway. One of my first flights after starting to enjoy aviation was onboard the 717, where I of course forced my family to sit in row 19 so we’d be right next to the jet engines. There is little noise from 3A today, but I’m just as thrilled to be on board.
Our departure was delayed by about 15 minutes, but that wasn’t really Qantas’ fault, with close to every seat on the plane booked by an AvGeek, and we of course needed to take a few hundred photos of the plane. After pushback, we taxi past Sheps Mound, Sydney’s prized planespotting area, before making a u-turn for the runway.
The takeoff was a true firewalled departure, but I’ll do you the favour of skipping over the collective noise of 110 aviation tragics enjoying a maximum performance takeoff.
Like on many short flights, there was only one cold meal option, a Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing. I’m so glad Qantas recently overhauled its domestic catering, which had long been a downfall of the airline’s soft product. There’s only a 30-minute window for service on this flight if the crew are lucky, so I’m surprised to also find a cheesecake and chocolate bar served.
Despite being at work, this is obviously a reason for celebration, so I also enjoy a glass of Sparkling Wine, a Crosser NV number from the Adelaide Hills. It’s offered as Champagne, which always frustrates me during a flight.
Soon enough, the Canberra runway came into view, and as we touched down, the airport firefighters greeted us with a water cannon salute. It’s a fitting tribute for the final journey of an aircraft that has carried so many passengers, enthusiasts, and memories over the years.
As we park at the gate and the seatbelt sign is switched off, nearly everyone remains seated. Excluding a handful of passengers who booked this flight just to get to Canberra, it soon becomes apparent that everyone is waiting for one last glimpse at the 717 cockpit, and of course, borrowing a few safety cards.
QantasLink’s Last Boeing 717: VH-YQS
As of this morning, Qantas had planned to operate its specially painted Tassie Devil Boeing 717 on the last service. But unfortunately, that jet suffered a compressor stall on takeoff in Canberra earlier in the day, forcing VH-YQS, the other QantasLink 717 still operating, to take the honour of today’s flight.
Shortly, VH-YQS will enter storage in Victorville for the second time in her life, having already spent just under two years in storage after exiting the MexicanaClick fleet in 2011. The jet was then ferried from Victorville to Jacksonville via El Paspo in August 2013, and repainted into the QantasLink Livery. The ferry fight to Australia took place the following month, operating Jacksonville – Billings – Anchorage – Magadan – Chitose – Cebu – Darwin – Adelaide.
Below are the many lives VH-YQS has lived;
- Feb 2004 to Jun 2009 – operated in America as N916ME for Midwest Airlines with 88 Economy seats
- Jun 2009 to Jan 2011 – operated in Mexico as XA-CLE for MexicanaClick with 20 Business and 84 Economy seats
- Jan 2011 to Oct 2013 – stored at Victorville USA as N406BC for Boeing Capital Corporation
- Oct 2013 to Oct 2024 – operated in Australia as VH-YQS for QantasLink with 12 Business and 98 Economy seats
What’s Next For QantasLink?
As QantasLink bids farewell to the 717, the airline is continuing to welcome next-generation Airbus A220 jets. With four of the type currently flying for QantasLink, the next A220 is scheduled to enter into service by the end of the year. This aircraft is to be named ‘Tasmanian Devil’, but unlike its 717 counterpart, will wear the standard livery.
QantasLink’s A220 has space for 137 passengers, with 10 Business and 127 Economy seats. As well as improved fuel efficiency, reduced noise and free WiFi, below are the headline features.
Business;
- 37” seat pitch with a 5” recline
- 6-way adjustable headrest
- Built-in adjustable calf rest
- Footrest that folds out from the seat in front (not in row 1)
- Wireless charging pad built into the armrest
- USB-A and USB-C charging ports at each seat
- Built-in storage including a bottle holder
- In arm tray table with a built-in tablet holder
Economy;
- 30” seat pitch and 18” seat width
- Extra seat cushioning for greater comfort
- 6-way adjustable headrest
- USB-A and USB-C charging ports at each seat
- Drop-down tablet holder
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Disclaimer: The author flew onboard the final 717 flight as a guest of Qantas.
I loved the mention of family and row 19- the interview, the geeks on the seats, I could feel the bittersweet emotion coming through this article.