QantasLink has expanded the reach of its new Airbus A220 fleet to Launceston, making the Tasmanian city the first non-capital to welcome the next-generation aircraft.
The inaugural flight from Melbourne to Launceston, operated by an A220 named ‘Koala’, landed at 10:40am on Monday.
The aircraft is the second A220 to join the QantasLink fleet this year, with four currently in operation across the network and a fifth expected to arrive in November.
QantasLink CEO Rachel Yangoyan said the A220 will provide an enhanced travel experience for passengers flying to and from Tasmania.
“We’ve had great feedback from customers on the A220 since it first started flying on our network earlier this year,” she said.
“It offers more space, larger windows, fast Wi-Fi and specially designed seats that will all vastly improve the travelling experience.”
The aircraft already operates between Melbourne and Hobart and will begin services between Sydney and Launceston from late October, replacing QantasLink’s ageing fleet of Boeing 717s.
While the A220s offer more seats than the Boeing 717s, they have a smaller capacity than the 737s, with 137 seats compared to 174.
The slight reduction means 37 less seats are on offer on each flight between Sydney and Hobart and other cities where the type is flown.
