We sang as we watched and waited till the billy boil, or at least it felt that long for Qantas’ second Dreamliner to arrive, because she’s the baby that’s going to connect Perth to London…
Or not, Qantas is still deciding which one will make the record-breaking journey.
On the day Qantas’ first 787 aka the Great Southern Land set off on her first international flight from Melbourne to Los Angeles, the airline revealing the name of its second Dreamliner
Her name is… the Waltzing Matilda.
Yeahhhh, Aussie’ll be gatherin’ around the ol’ billabong to watch that aircraft fly.
Qantas’ International Chief Executive, Alison Webster, said the title of Slim Dusty’s classic and the unofficial national anthem was selected from one of 45,000 suggestions received by the public earlier this year and was selected because it’ll offer a sense of home for Aussies travelling overseas, while creating curiosity among international visitors.
“The name of this aircraft will be seen by thousands of people a year when it pulls up at airport gates around the world.”
Alison Webster, Qantas International Chief Executive
“For Australian’s it’s a familiar touch of home. For some of our customers flying from overseas, there will probably be some googling to find out what it means.”
Love that!
Qantas also revealed plans today to operate the Great Southern Land (the first 787) on direct Melbourne to San Francisco flights.
Click here for more information on the route, but a quick recap: it’ll go on sale from early 2018 and take off late 2018.
The Flying Kangaroo expects to complete its fleet of eight 787s by the end of 2018.
READ: Qantas to fly Melbourne to San Francisco on the 787
READ: Osaka, here Sydneysiders come! The Flying Kangaroo’s direct flights launch