First QantasLink A220 touches down in Tasmania as the airline invests in new Hobart Airport lounge
Latest News|Published 1 July 2024
The Qantas Group’s next-generation Airbus A220 aircraft has landed in Tasmania for the first time, bringing a new level of passenger comfort and sustainability to the Apple Isle.
The inaugural A220-operated Melbourne to Hobart service landed at 11.20am with the Flying Kangaroo also announcing plans for an all-new Qantas Club at Hobart Airport.
The flight was operated by the QantasLink A220 aircraft named Minyma Kutjara Tjukurpa that features the artwork of senior Pitjantjatjara artist Maringka Baker and depicts the Dreaming story of two sisters who traverse remote Australia together, covering vast distances to find their way home.
The Qantas Group’s A220s will steadily replace QantasLink’s long-serving fleet of Boeing 717s as part of the Qantas Group’s domestic fleet renewal program and will operate up to 26 flights per week between Melbourne and Hobart.
The A220 will also begin operating on the Melbourne-Launceston route from 12 November 2024.
The new aircraft is significantly more fuel efficient than previous generation aircraft, with ultra-modern light and bright cabin design with large windows and overhead lockers. With fast free Wi-Fi, specially designed seats and greater sense of space, the A220 offers customers a more comfortable travel experience.
Qantas and Jetstar have also reached a new long-term commercial agreement with Hobart Airport, which will see Qantas invest in a new lounge. Expected to open in 2027, the new Qantas Club will have almost double the current capacity and showcase Tasmanian produce.
Key features of the A220 experience include:
- Space for 137 passengers across two cabins, with 10 Business seats in a 2-2 configuration and 127 seats in Economy in a 2-3 configuration.
- The largest windows of any single aisle aircraft and a cabin with a greater sense of space.
- Fast, free Wi-Fi, allowing customers to stay connected, as well as the improved Qantas Entertainment App for streaming content to their own device.
- An integrated personal device holder and USB A and C charging in both Economy and Business; additional wireless charging pad in Business.
- More comfortable Economy seat with extra padding compared with the 717.
- Around 20 per cent more overhead locker space for all customers.
- Reduction in noise footprint of up to 50 per cent and reduction in carbon emissions of 25 per cent per seat compared with the aircraft its replacing.