Qantas Unveils Special Livery For First Airbus A220

The Qantas Group is readying to welcome its first Airbus A220 to be deployed at QantasLink.

The first aircraft will adorn 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’ commitment to offering special liveries that focus on fantastic Indigenous art has remained with many aircraft adorning 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, attempting 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 tones of green throughout the fuselage in a shift from Qantas’ typical red flying kangaroo.

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

The livery features staggeringly over 20,000 dots and is what Airbus calls the most complex livery they’ve ever worked on.

Ultimately, such a livery took two weeks to be completed. 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 a commitment by Qantas Group to revamp its narrowbody flying 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 be able to do this in a more fuel-efficient and comfortable manner.

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

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

Across the following year, this will grow with further aircraft types slated to join to continue boosting the offering from the flag carrier.

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 meet the various travellers.

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

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