Launceston Airport welcomes the next generation of Qantas jets | The Examiner | October 14, 2024 - video Dailymotion

The Examiner

The first Airbus A220 has touched down in Northern Tasmania, with the new Qantas aircraft offering smoother, quieter and more environmentally-friendly transport. Footage by Joe Colbrook, Qantas

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00:00It's the start of a new era for passengers passing through Launceston Airport, where

00:05little after over an hour ago, the first of QantasLink's next generation of aircraft

00:10touched down from Melbourne.

00:12The new Airbus A220 jets had begun servicing the airline's routes previously serviced

00:17by the Boeing 717, which had been flying for a few decades now.

00:22Launceston Airport Chief Executive Officer Shane O'Hare heralded the arrival of the

00:26new aircraft as a game-changer.

00:28We're absolutely thrilled to have this aircraft flying here today, and from now on, these

00:33aircraft will serve exclusively Melbourne to Launceston, and then in a couple of weeks,

00:38on the 27th of October, the aircraft will start operating between Sydney and Launceston,

00:46and that's when we will farewell the last of the 717s.

00:49The new aircraft are faster, quieter, and can carry more passengers than the jets that

00:54they're replacing.

00:55They have all the modern creature comforts you'd expect, large windows, free Wi-Fi, and

00:59in-seat chargers.

01:01They also have about double the range of the old Boeing 717, which puts more airports within

01:07flying range from northern Tasmania.

01:09We're in continual discussion with Qantas Network planners and strategists on new route

01:15opportunities for Tasmania.

01:17This aircraft, yes, it will fly to Cairns, it will fly to Darwin.

01:22I'm not pre-empting anything here at all, but the aeroplane does have the legs to be

01:27able to operate non-stop to both airlines, pretty well anywhere on the Qantas Network

01:32in Australia.

01:33QantasLink CEO Rachel Yangoyan was also in Launceston to welcome the new aircraft.

01:38She said the airline's fleet renewal program was a win for travellers, and today's flight

01:44marked the next stage in what had been a decades-long relationship with Launceston.

01:49We've had a very long and proud history with Launceston.

01:52We've been operating as a Qantas Group for more than 30 years into Launceston, and we've

01:58operated all types of aircraft.

02:00Our Dash 8 aircraft, 717, 737 aircraft, and we're incredibly excited to add the 1820 to

02:07that mix, as that will ensure that we have the right capacity for the community here

02:12in Launceston.

Launceston Airport welcomes the next generation of Qantas jets | The Examiner | October 14, 2024

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