Qantas retires final 717 after brief stay of execution
January 6, 2025
As first reported by Australian Aviation, the last scheduled service of a Qantas 717 (aircraft registration VH-YQW) – which had briefly been put back into service after its so-called ‘final flight’ in October 2024 – touched down in Brisbane on 30 December, where it is believed it will be donated to an aviation school.
With VH-YQW having paused flying at the end of October, it returned to the skies in early November before making its final flight to Brisbane. The apparent stay of execution appears to have been to facilitate the integration of the new A220 into its domestic fleet, with the first two of 29 A220s on order entering service in March 2024. At the time, the airline noted that another four units were scheduled to be delivered by mid-2025.
In October 2024, QantasLink announced it was to cease operating the type after more than two decades in service with the Qantas Group, “connecting Australian capital cities and regional hubs and supporting the resource sector in the West”. However, the integration of 29 new Airbus A220s spelled the end for the ageing 20 QantasLink 717s, with the incoming aircraft to offer almost double the range, lower emissions per seat and a more comfortable inflight experience.
Records indicate that a further two decommissioned 717 airframes are still owned by the airline, one each in storage in Brisbane and Victorville.
The 717 first came into Qantas following the Group’s acquisition of Impulse Airways in 2001 and has what QantasLink CEO Rachel Yangoyan described as a “long history”, being the aircraft that launched airline partner Jetstar’s inaugural services in 2004. QantasLink was one of the last three commercial airlines in the world to operate the 717, able to carry around 100 passengers and used widely for regional services.
