Qantas to end Boeing 717 flights in October
Qantas will end the Boeing 717’s career in October, the Australian carrier has announced.
The plan to retire the jet, a derivative of the old MD-95, had already been revealed last year, when Qantas was preparing to receive its first Airbus A220.
The airline currently has four of these Canadian-made aircraft in its fleet and a fifth jet will arrive in November.
In addition to being more economical, the A220-300s can carry 137 passengers in two classes (10+127) while the 717 only carries 110 people.
The new Airbus also has 20% more space in the bins, free Wi-Fi, USB sockets and more comfortable seats.
Boeing 717 flying only in the US
Qantas has operated 23 717 jets to date and only two of them were active in October, registrations VH-YQS and VH-YQW.
With the end of commercial flights in Australia, the Boeing 717 will only remain active in the United States, with Delta Air Lines and Hawaiian Airlines.
The Atlanta-based carrier has a massive fleet of 88 aircraft while the Hawaiian carrier maintains 19 Boeing 717s in operation.
The commercial jet was a rebrand of the McDonnell Douglas MD-95 when Boeing acquired the company in 1997. Only 156 aircraft were manufactured as of 2006.
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