Qantas is set to inspire a fresh wave of Australian aviation nostalgia with a second Boeing 737-800 to be painted in a retro livery as part of celebrations marking the national carrier’s 95th Birthday.
Qantas’ Group Executive for Brand, Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Olivia Wirth, said the second retro livery aircraft would build on the popularity of the first historical livery unveiled last year.
“We are very excited to be announcing the commissioning of Retro Roo II following the phenomenal response we received from the community and our people when we introduced the first Retro Roo with its classic 1970s iconic last November.
“You can see from what’s posted on social media that people enjoy taking photos of Retro Roo I as it travels to airports around Australia. Crew tell us it’s always a talking point when it pulls up to the gate and people get on board, though they’re generally pleased that it’s not 1974 on in the inside as well.
“The Retro Roo II livery is part of celebrations for our 95th anniversary and it’s also a good contrast to the innovation happening at Qantas, particularly as we start to prepare for our first B787 Dreamliners in 2017”.
The new livery will be chosen from the 12 liveries that Qantas has had since its first aircraft in 1920. It will be applied to one of Qantas’ existing 67 Boeing 737 aircraft, which are undergoing a refurbishment program in Brisbane and Sydney.
Once the cabin refresh is completed, the aircraft will be flown to Townsville to be repainted in a classic new livery – a process which is expected to take four days, before entering service on flights across Australia and the Tasman to New Zealand.
Qantas’ first retro painted aircraft is named in honour of James Strong who served as Qantas Group CEO from 1993 to 2001 and features the livery used between 1971 and 1984. Qantas will unveil both the livery and the name of Retro Roo II at a hangar event for employees at Sydney airport on Monday November 16, the day it celebrates its 95th birthday.
Click here to see a library of Qantas historic livery images.
About Qantas Airways
Founded in regional Queensland in 1920 – as the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service – Qantas is one of Australia’s most iconic brands. Today the Qantas Group is a diverse global aviation business, comprising Qantas Domestic, Qantas International, the Jetstar low-cost carrier group and Qantas Loyalty. In total, the Qantas Group operates more than 7,300 flights each week and, together with its codeshare and oneworld partners, offers flights to more than 1000 destinations around the world. The Qantas Group carries 47 million passengers annually and employs over 30,000 people.