Qantas Unveils Special Livery For First Airbus A220

The Qantas Group is preparing to welcome its first Airbus A220 to QantasLink.

The first aircraft will wear a special Flying Art livery following a rollout in Mirabel, Canada.

Another Flying Art Livery Arrives

Qantas launched its iconic flying art series in 1994 with Wunala Dreaming. A full-body livery applied to one of its Boeing 747s.

Since then, Qantas has continued its commitment to special liveries featuring fantastic Indigenous art, with many aircraft wearing special schemes.

Qantas’ upcoming first A220 will wear the art of senior Pitjantjatjara artist Maringka Baker. The livery tells the dream story of two sisters who traverse remote Australia together. They cover vast distances as they try to find their way home.

Ultimately, the aircraft has been named after the artwork Minyma Kutjara Tjukurpa or The Two Sisters Creation Story.

The scheme features strong green tones throughout the fuselage, shifting away from Qantas’ typical red flying kangaroo.

Around 100 painters were involved in the massive effort to complete the livery. Airbus says it used 130 stencils to replicate the required detailed design.

The livery features over 20,000 dots and is what Airbus calls its most complex livery yet.

Ultimately, the livery took two weeks to complete. This is now the sixth flying art scheme to have entered the airline.

Airbus A220 To Be A Game Changer

Airbus’ A220 was part of Qantas Group’s commitment to revamp its narrowbody fleet some time ago.

The next-generation Airbus A220s are slated to replace the existing Boeing 717s. These ageing 717s have been with the company for some time and, while reliable, will make way for next-generation planes.

Ultimately, the commitment to the A220 is part of Qantas Group’s broader mission to offer more flights. It wants to do this in a more fuel-efficient and comfortable way.

In the next decade, the company’s fleet will change dramatically. As a result, it will retire multiple aircraft types in favour of next-generation aircraft.

Qantas has welcomed eight A321LRs for Jetstar, three Boeing 787 Dreamliners for Qantas, and the first A220 for QantasLink in 12 months.

Over the next year, this will grow as more aircraft types join, continuing to boost the flag carrier’s offering.

Understanding The Qantas A220

Qantas’ Airbus A220s are slated to seat 137 passengers in a two-class cabin configuration.

The Australian flag carrier will install ten business-class seats alongside 127 in economy class to suit a range of travellers.

With the arrival of the game-changing Airbus A220, Qantas can deploy the aircraft from major hubs to smaller capital cities.

With almost double the range over the Boeing 717 at over 6,000km, the aircraft also opens up significant opportunities for new route connections.

Qantas has already begun the complex process of saying goodbye to some of its 717s in preparation for the A220’s arrival.

Comments From Qantas Executive

These aircraft have the potential to change the way our customers travel across the country, with the ability to connect any two cities or towns in Australia. That means faster and more convenient travel for business trips and exciting new possibilities for holiday travel. A whole new fleet type also means a lot of opportunities for our people to operate and look after these aircraft.

Qantas Group CEO, Vanessa Hudson