Qantas Reveals the Shortlist in Plane-Naming Competition

Australia’s most adorable animal, a beloved children’s character and an ophthalmologist who restored the eyesight of thousands around the world: these are among Australian icons in the running to appear on Qantas’s new fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

The public was invited to suggest up to eight Australian icons as names for the new aircraft. The parameters were broad: notable people, sayings, inventions and landmarks were all acceptable, and Qantas received more than 40,000 suggestions.

SEE ALSO: You Can Name a Qantas Plane

Australia has spoken and unlike our British boat-naming friends, we have treated the question with the dignity with which it deserves. Well, mostly.

“There were so many great entries that truly reflected the spirit of Australia and we’re thrilled with the response,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said.

“And it’s fair to say there were a few suggestions which we found very funny but probably not suitable for an aircraft that will be flying around the globe.”

Indeed, the shortlist is relatively free from controversy – after all, we could have had a Schapelle Corby, say, or a Ja’mie King or perhaps a Wine Cask. No, the Australian public has come up trumps with a shortlist of 20 names that will be put to the final vote with nary a Planey McPlaneface to be seen.

“It was obvious that people really put some thought into different themes we could use to name our fleet of eight new Dreamliners including famous explorers to some of their favourite Aussie sayings,” said Joyce.

Without further ado, the shortlist:

Boomerang

Dreamtime

Jillaroo

Fred Hollows

Quokka

Skippy

Great Ocean Road

Joan Sutherland

Evonne Goolagong

Cooee

Jumbuck

Vegemite

Kookaburra

Waltzing Matilda

Don Bradman

Kokoda

Uluru

Great Southern Land

True Blue

Voting is now open to select the final eight names that will adorn Qantas’s new Dreamliners. Visit Name Our Dreamliners to cast your vote.

The very first Dreamliner – Skippy? Quokka? – will take over the Melbourne to Los Angeles route this year, and in 2018 the aircraft will be put into service on the historic new non-stop service between Perth and London.