Qantas plans to retire another aircraft type from its fleet after just retiring the Boeing 767 in May. By the end of October, the Australian carrier plans to retire its remaining Boeing 717s.
Once a workhorse of the airline’s regional fleet, the aircraft are being replaced by the newer Airbus A220 as part of a fleet renewal effort called “Project Winton.” Since taking delivery of the first A220 in late 2023, the carrier currently has four in service with a fifth expected next month.
Both the A220s and 717s are operated by the airline’s regional subsidiary QantasLink. In a press release, Qantas confirmed the 717s will leave the fleet by the end of this month.
The carrier has a total of 29 A220 aircraft on order. “The size of the aircraft makes it the perfect addition to our fleet that currently operate our routes to the Apple Isle and it’s great to see the A220 now flying to two Tasmanian airports,” QantasLink CEO Rachel Yangoyan said in a news release.
Currently, Qantas has three remaining 717s in service, according to Cirium Fleet Analyzer data. The airline first took delivery of the jet in 1999 and has up to 20 as of May 2023.
“The size of the aircraft makes it the perfect addition to our fleet that currently operate our routes to the Apple Isle and it’s great to see the A220 now flying to two Tasmanian airports,” QantasLink CEO Rachel Yangoyan said in a news release.
As first noted by Aeroroutes, Qantas is slated to operate its last 717 flights on Oct. 26 between Sydney and Canberra along with Launceston.
Delta and Hawaiian still operate the Boeing 717, although both carriers plan to replace the type by the end of the decade.
