It appears that Qantas
has definitively retired the last of its Boeing 717s
months after it quietly resurrected the aircraft from a highly publicized retirement in October 2024. The 717s have played a vital role in Australian aviation for over twenty years, but sadly the day has come when this reliable little T-tail will no longer grace Australia’s skies.
Related
Qantas Koala Airbus A220 Lands In Tasmania As Boeing 717s Phase Out
QanatsLink now has four Airbus A220-300s and will phase out its last Boeing 717 by the end of October.
Premature retirement in 2024
In October of 2024, Qantas announced the retirement of the 717s operating for Qantaslink
and published the following in a press release on October 26th:
“Today marks the end of an era for the Qantas Group with the last remaining QantasLink Boeing 717 jet taking passengers to Australian skies for the final time.”
However, as many airline enthusiasts had guessed, this announcement seemed premature considering that Qantas had received only four Airbus A220s
, which are the announced replacement type for the Boeing 717s.
Photo: Bidgee | Wikimedia Commons
Indeed, VH-YQS, the aircraft that had purportedly operated the last flight, flew on to the boneyard in Victorville, California, giving all the perception that the end of an era had come. However, in November, a Boeing 717, registered VH-YQW, flew to Perth and was spotted in QantasLink service once again. The aircraft was reported to be filling in for some of Network Aviation’s Fokker 100s
which were suffering from some reliability issues.
FlightAware data shows that VH-YQW paused after October 28, 2024, for several days before returning to the skies again on November 5th. From that date on, the dependable little 717 operated a regular flight schedule throughout the month of November. The aircraft flew repeatedly between Perth International and Paraburdoo in November before flying to destinations such as Sydney, Hobart, Canberra, and Melbourne Tullamarine throughout December.
Photo: FlightAware
An essential aircraft to Australian commercial aviation
Many aviation enthusiasts will remember when Impulse Airways received its first Boeing 717s. The aircraft provided efficient, reliable service on routes that generated smaller passenger numbers and did not require the use of larger equipment. Impulse Airways was later acquired by Qantas in 2001 and the 717s began flying for QantasLink.
The Boeing 717s also played a pivotal role in the formation of Jetstar
. Fourteen of the aircraft were transferred to Jetstar in 2004 and operated with the startup airline for two years before returning to QantasLink. Since then, the 717s have served Australia reliably for a period that has now spanned over twenty years. QantasLink Chief Executive Officer Rachel Yangoyan said:
“The 717 aircraft have a long history in Qantas and Jetstar’s fleet. From being the aircraft that launched Jetstar’s first ever flights in 2004 to serving major cities, regional towns, and the mining sector in the West as part of QantasLink for more than 20 years, we know our people and customers have loved flying on the 717.”
Retirement and replacement
Sadly, the end of an era in Australian aviation has come to an end. On December 30th, VH-YQW flew from Canberra to Brisbane where it has been rumored the aircraft will be given to a Brisbane-based aviation school. VH-YQW was the last of the Boeing 717s to roll off the Long Beach assembly line in 2006. It would be fitting if the aircraft continued to serve the future generation of aviation.
Photo: Ryan Fletcher | Shutterstock
QantasLink has been slowly receiving its Airbus A220s. Though these modern aircraft promise to bring new efficiencies and greater comfort to the airline’s customers, the 717s will be sorely missed. 
Delta Air Lines
and Hawaiian Airlines
remain the last two operators of the extraordinary Boeing 717, but with both airlines planning to retire the type in the near future, the end of an era is approaching too quickly.
