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QantasLink

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QantasLink is a full-service, regional brand of Australian flag carrier Qantas and is an affiliate member of the Oneworld airline alliance. As of 2024, QantasLink provides over 2,000 flights each week to 65 metropolitan, regional and remote destinations across Australia, as well as short-haul international services to Singapore, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and East Timor.[1] Flights are operated by the Qantas owned subsidiaries of Eastern Australia Airlines, National Jet Systems, Network Aviation and Sunstate Airlines, with E190s wet-leased from Alliance Airlines.

QantasLink
IATA ICAO Call sign
QF
  • Q-LINK
  • Q-JET
  • NET-LINK
  • QANTAS
Founded2002; 22 years ago (2002)
Operating bases
Frequent-flyer programQantas Frequent Flyer
AllianceOneworld (affiliate)
Fleet size94
Destinations69 (4 international)
Parent companyQantas
HeadquartersMascot, New South Wales, Australia
Key peopleRachel Yangoyan (QantasLink CEO)
Websitewww.qantaslink.com.au

History

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QantasLink's origins as a single brand for Qantas' regional airline subsidiaries go back to October 1993, when Qantas acquired Australian Airlink Pty Ltd and its fleet from parent company National Jet Systems,[2] which up to that point had been operating flights on major regional routes for Australian Airlines. The Australian Airlink name remained and the fleet was repainted in Qantas livery, and National Jet Systems was subsequently contracted by Qantas to operate Australian Airlink aircraft.

Prior to 2002, Qantas' various subsidiaries operated under their own names, eventually adopting the Australian Airlines, and later, Qantas liveries. In 2002 a common brand was created, encompassing AirLink (a franchise, operated by National Jet Systems), Sunstate Airlines, Eastern Australia Airlines, and Southern Australia Airlines; Southern Australia has since ceased operations.

For a short while, QantasLink took over some of Qantas' non-trunk routes, such as Sydney – Sunshine Coast, using Boeing 717s that were inherited after Qantas acquired Impulse Airlines. QantasLink ceased operating some of these routes after Qantas formed low-cost subsidiary Jetstar Airways, transferring the Boeing 717 aircraft and routes to the new airline. In 2005/06, eight of the 717s were returned to QantasLink following Jetstar's acquisition of Airbus A320 aircraft, with the 717s to be operated in Western Australia, Northern Territory and far north Queensland by National Jet Systems.

On 31 July 2015, Network Aviation was rebranded to QantasLink. This was announced by Qantas with the unveiling of a Fokker 100 in QantasLink colours.[3]

In January 2018, Network Aviation confirmed it would transfer two Airbus A320s from Jetstar Airways for flights to and from Perth as part of the QantasLink brand.[4] Network Aviation has steadily increased its use of ex-Jetstar Airbus A320s with a current fleet of 15.

On 20 May 2020, Qantas announced the purchase of Cobham Australia's National Jet Systems subsidiary which had operated the Boeing 717-200 on behalf of QantasLink for 15 years, bringing both employees and the fleet in-house.[5][6]

On 4 February 2021, Qantas announced an initial 3 year deal with Alliance Airlines that they will be leasing 3 Embraer E190 with the option for up to 14 to operate on routes like Adelaide–Alice Springs, Darwin–Alice Springs, and Darwin–Adelaide.[7] Qantas has steadily expanded upon its lease agreement and use of the aircraft, with the company currently agreed to operate 26 aircraft by April 2024, with 4 options remaining.

Fleet

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Current fleet

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QantasLink flights, except those flown by the Embraer 190s, are operated by the individual airlines that make up the group – Eastern Australia Airlines, National Jet Systems, Network Aviation and Sunstate Airlines. All flights use QF IATA codes. Turboprop aircraft operate under the ICAO callsign QLK ("Q-LINK"). Until 5 January 2009, Eastern and Sunstate operated under their own callsigns. Network Aviation aircraft operate under their own callsign NWK ("NETLINK").

As of November 2024, QantasLink operates the following aircraft:[8]

QantasLink fleet
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Operator Notes
J Y Total
Airbus A220-300 4 25 10 127 137[9] National Jet Systems Deliveries began in December 2023.[9][10]
Airbus A319-100 5 4[11] — 150 150[12] Network Aviation Former Spirit Airlines aircraft.[12]
Airbus A320-200 15 — — 180 180[13] Former Jetstar aircraft.[14]
Boeing 717-200 1[15] — 12 98 110 National Jet Systems VH-YQW reactivated for FIFO Operations[15]
De Havilland Canada Dash 8-200 3 — — 36 36[16] Eastern Australia Airlines To be transferred to Skytrans,[17] and replaced by mid-life Q400.[18]
De Havilland Canada Dash 8-300 16 — — 50 50[19] To be retired and replaced by mid-life Q400.[18]
De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 31 — — 74 74[20] Sunstate Airlines
— 14 78 78[18] TBA Mid-Life aircraft delivered from Q4 2024.[18]
Fokker 100 15 — — 100 100[21] Network Aviation Former Tyrolean Airways, Germania and Avianca aircraft.[22]
Total 90 43

Fleet development

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QantasLink Airbus A220-300 in Minyma Kutjara Tjukurpa livery
 
QantasLink De Havilland Canada Dash 8-300
 
QantasLink QantasLink De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400
 
QantasLink Fokker 100

QantasLink increased capacity by replacing many of its smaller Dash 8-100 and Q200 aircraft with Q400s. QantasLink pursued this deal despite landing gear problems with Q400 aircraft by some airlines. This problem also saw a grounding of the Q400s by QantasLink, though all were deemed safe and returned to service.[citation needed]

As part of its further expansion, QantasLink entered the South Australian market in December 2005, with flights from Adelaide to Port Lincoln and Kangaroo Island. Interstate flights were also introduced between Kangaroo Island and Melbourne. Due to low passenger loads, these services ceased operation at the end of June 2006, however QantasLink announced a resumption of Melbourne to Kangaroo Island from December 2017 alongside opening up Adelaide to Kangaroo Island flights.[23] On 8 December 2009, QantasLink announced that it would re-enter the Adelaide to Port Lincoln market from February 2010, using Q400 aircraft flying 23 return services a week.[24]

From 2005, QantasLink 717 services in Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory and Tasmania were contracted to National Jet Systems, using the QantasLink brand. The hubs for QantasLink under the contract are in Perth, Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, and Hobart.

Qantas replaced its daily Melbourne-Launceston mainline service with a three times daily QantasLink Dash 8 service from 1 August 2006. This has now been increased to a four times daily service, supplemented in peak service periods by QantasLink 717 services.

In May 2008, QantasLink announced that it would order nine 717s. Tamworth would be the first New South Wales regional airport to be serviced by the Q400, commencing in mid-August 2008.[25]

On 29 March 2010, QantasLink and the Qantas Group announced that it would start the first international QantasLink route, from Cairns to Port Moresby, utilising Q400 aircraft already based in Cairns. The service commenced in July 2010. A QantasLink spokesperson stated that "the airline would not turn into a fully fledged international airline, but could operate international routes in the future".[26]

On 18 December 2014, QantasLink announced that it would add Whyalla, South Australia, to its network, with double daily flights to commence on 13 April 2015. The route is serviced by the 50-seat Q300.[27] In July 2015, Network Aviation was absorbed into the Qantas Link brand.[28] In November 2014, QantasLink became the first airline to fly to the newly opened Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport, establishing direct Q400 services to Sydney. In February 2016 as a result of strong demand, QantasLink increased weekly services by two flights to fifteen weekly returns.[29]

In July 2016, Alliance Airlines delivered the first of three additional Fokker 100s, with two more delivered by the end of the year.[30]

In July 2018, Network aviation acquired two Airbus A320s from Jetstar (Another Qantas Group Subsidiary) for use within Western Australia.[31]

In May 2020, Qantas bought National Jet Systems and brought the Boeing 717 crew and fleet in-house. In August 2020, National Jet systems closed the Perth and Cairns bases of their operation, with Western Australian operations to be taken over by Network Aviation.[32]

In December 2021, Qantas announced an initial order for 20 Airbus A220-300 with additional purchase options to replace its Boeing 717.[33] On the 29th of June, Qantas announced it was exercising 9 purchase right options for the A220-300 aircraft, taking the total number of A220-300s on firm order to 29, which will begin arriving from late 2023 to 2027.[34]

In February 2023, Qantas announced an order for 5 mid-life Airbus A319s aircraft to increase short term capacity and support the growth of the resource sector in Western Australia for delivery from 2024.[35] Qantas announced in February 2024, following a strong performance in the resources sector that 4 additional A319 aircraft had been purchased, bringing the total to 9.[36]

On 25 June 2024, Qantas announced an order for 14 mid-life Dash 8-400 (Q400) aircraft to begin phasing out the Q200 and Q300 aircraft. The first expected to arrive into the Qantaslink fleet from the end of 2024, bringing the Q400 fleet to 45, with a single aircraft type providing increased reliability and reducing complexity and cost for the group. Vanessa Hudson, Qantas Group CEO, added how the new mid-life aircraft will "provide certainty to the regions over the next decade while we work with aircraft manufacturers and other suppliers on electric or battery powered aircraft that are the right size and range for our network.”[18]

On 28 October 2024, Qantaslink and Skytrans announced a partnership for the operation of Lord Howe Island flights. This would see Qantaslink's three De Haviland Canada Dash 8-200 acquired by Skytrans[17] for them to carry out these operations from February 2026. These flights will be code-shared by Qantas, with the flights to operate out of Qantas Terminal 3 at Sydney Airport.[37]

That same month, the Boeing 717 fleet was retired, having been replaced with the new Airbus A220s.[38]

Former fleet

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QantasLink Boeing 717

QantasLink previously operated the following types:[39][40]

Destinations

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QantasLink destinations served by Alliance Airlines
QantasLink destinations served by Eastern Australia Airlines
QantasLink destinations served by Sunstate Airlines
QantasLink destinations served by National Jet Systems
QantasLink destinations served by Network Aviation

Incidents and accidents

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  • On 29 May 2003, Qantas Flight 1737, a domestic flight from Melbourne to Launceston operated by a QantasLink Boeing 717 registered VH-NXN, was subject to an attempted hijacking.[53]

See also

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Footnotes

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Notes

1. ^ QantasLink flights operated by National Jet Systems use the call-sign "Q-JET", with the ICAO code QJE. All flights continue to operate under the IATA code QF.

  1. ^ On flights operated by Eastern Australia Airlines and Sunstate Airlines
  2. ^ On flights operated by National Jet Systems
  3. ^ On flights operated by Network Aviation
  4. ^ On flights operated by Alliance Airlines

References

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  1. ^ "QANTAS Fact File" (PDF). Qantas. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
  2. ^ "VH-NJC BAe 146-100A Australia". www.aussieairliners.org. Archived from the original on 22 January 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  3. ^ "Network Aviation becomes QantasLink | Australian Aviation". australianaviation.com.au. 31 July 2015. Archived from the original on 1 August 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  4. ^ "QantasLink to operate Airbus A320 aircraft". Airline Hub Buzz. 16 January 2018. Archived from the original on 17 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Qantas brings regional fleet back in-house". Australian Financial Review. 20 May 2020. Archived from the original on 26 May 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  6. ^ Cobham Aviation Services Australia (20 May 2020). "Qantas Group B717s update". Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  7. ^ "Qantas ups domestic capacity with Alliance E190 deal". Australian Aviation. 4 February 2021. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  8. ^ CASA civil aircraft register search Archived 25 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine, using "Eastern Australia Airlines", "Network Aviation" and "Sunstate Airlines" as keyword search parameters; and "717-200" as Aircraft Model search parameter. Search conducted 9 May 2019. Included in the results are five Eastern Australia Dash 8-300s operated on behalf of Jetstar in New Zealand.
  9. ^ a b "Qantas A220 guide: order, delivery, seats and routes [2023] - Executive Traveller". www.executivetraveller.com. 12 July 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  10. ^ "Qantas Group takes delivery of its first A220". www.airbus.com. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  11. ^ "QANTAS GROUP PROFIT IN 1H24 SUPPORTS CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN CUSTOMERS". www.qantasnewsroom.com.au. 22 February 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
  12. ^ a b Graham, Matt (17 January 2024). "QantasLink Welcomes ex-Spirit A319s Into Fleet". Australian Frequent Flyer. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  13. ^ "Airbus A320-200 | Qantas". Archived from the original on 23 July 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  14. ^ "First Qantas-painted Airbus A320 lands in Perth". The World of Aviation. 25 February 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Qantas Boeing 717 November 2024 Operations". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  16. ^ "Qantaslink Seat Map Dash 8 Q200 36 Economy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  17. ^ a b "News". Skytrans. Archived from the original on 4 November 2024. Retrieved 4 November 2024.
  18. ^ a b c d e "QANTAS GROUP INVESTS IN REGIONAL TURBOPROP FLEET". Qantas Newsroom. 25 June 2024. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
  19. ^ "Qantaslink Seat Map Dash 8 Q300 50 Economy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 November 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  20. ^ "Qantaslink Seat Map Dash 8 Q400 74 Economy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
  21. ^ "Qantaslink Seat Map Fokker 100 100 Economy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2017. Retrieved 21 December 2001.
  22. ^ "Alliance delivers Fokker 100 to QantasLink". The World of Aviation. 13 July 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  23. ^ "Qantas to offer direct flights to Kangaroo Island in tourism boost". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 5 June 2017. Archived from the original on 18 June 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  24. ^ "The Advertiser - Latest Adelaide and South Australia News - The Advertiser". www.news.com.au. Archived from the original on 11 December 2009. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  25. ^ "Bigger is better: Qantas introduces 72 seater". Northern Daily Leader. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  26. ^ Creedy, Steve (19 March 2010). "QantasLink seeks openings for young fleet". The Australian.
  27. ^ "QANTASLINK ADDS WHYALLA TO ITS MAP". www.qantasnewsroom.com.au (Press release). Archived from the original on 23 July 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  28. ^ "Network Aviation becomes QantasLink". australianaviation.com.au. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  29. ^ "QantasLink boosts Toowoomba service with two extra flights - Australian Aviation". australianaviation.com.au. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  30. ^ "Alliance delivers Fokker 100 to QantasLink". Australian Aviation. 13 July 2016. Archived from the original on 14 July 2016.
  31. ^ "Mixing the fleet - Network brings the A320 to QANTAS". Australian Aviation. 19 July 2018. Archived from the original on 29 April 2023.
  32. ^ "Qantaslink Axes Cairns and Perth B717 Bases". Australian Aviation. 31 August 2020. Archived from the original on 20 March 2023.
  33. ^ Flynn, David. "Airbus beats out Boeing: Qantas to order A321XLR, A220 jets (16 December 2021)". Executive Traveller. Archived from the original on 2 January 2022. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  34. ^ "Qantas finalises incremental order for nine A220s". www.airbus.com. 20 June 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  35. ^ "QANTAS GROUP UPDATES FLEET PLAN TO BOOST CAPACITY". Qantas Newsroom. 23 February 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  36. ^ "QANTAS GROUP PROFIT IN 1H24 SUPPORTS CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN CUSTOMERS". Qantas Newsroom. 22 February 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  37. ^ "LORD HOWE ISLAND FLIGHTS". Qantas Newsroom. 28 October 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  38. ^ "MY FAREWELL FLIGHT ON THE 717". Airlineratings.com. 29 October 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  39. ^ "Qantas website". 9 February 1997. Archived from the original on 9 February 1997. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  40. ^ "Qantas Airways". 19 July 2002. Archived from the original on 19 July 2002. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  41. ^ https://www.airlineratings.com/articles/my-farewell-flight-on-the-boeing-717-
  42. ^ From the barossa to hunter flights between Adelaide and Newcastle to take off qantasnewsroom.com.au Archived 20 March 2022 at the Wayback Machine
  43. ^ Flights and jobs take off in the top end with new jet base in Darwin qantasnewsroom.com.au Archived 24 February 2022 at the Wayback Machine
  44. ^ New routes qantasnewsroom.com.au Archived 7 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine
  45. ^ Broken Hill bound flying kangaroo to launch new flights to iconic Aussie outback town qantasnewsroom.com.au Archived 7 February 2022 at the Wayback Machine
  46. ^ Lord Howe Island Flights qantasnewsroom.com.au Archived 13 November 2024 at the Wayback Machine
  47. ^ a b c "From the beach to the bush". 1 July 2020. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  48. ^ "New Qantas service to fly from Bendigo to Sydney six days a week". Bendigo Advertiser. 10 December 2018. Archived from the original on 30 March 2019. Retrieved 5 March 2019.
  49. ^ "Qantas introduces new fleet to Bendigo–Sydney route". The Bendigo Times. 1 November 2024. Retrieved 14 November 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  50. ^ Yufeng, Kok (17 January 2024). "Qantas to relaunch flights between Singapore and Darwin after 18-year hiatus". The Straits Times. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  51. ^ "Qantas delays restart of Darwin-Singapore - Executive Traveller". www.executivetraveller.com. 6 June 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
  52. ^ "Qantas Link 1Q24 A319 operations". AeroRoutes. 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  53. ^ AviationSource (5 May 2024). "QantasLink Flight 1737: Over 20 Years Since The Hijacking Attempt". AviationSource News. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
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