Qantas went retro today in celebration of its 95 years of flying, unveiling its Boeing 737-800 painted in vintage 1960s livery.
The Retro Roo II (VH-VXQ) was unveiled in front of 400 extremely excited Qantas employees and invited guests at Sydney Airport this morning. Decked out in celebration of Qantas’ 95th year of operation, the retro aircraft features the same livery that was used on Qantas’ Boeing 707 jets from 1959 to 1961 – when the flying kangaroo helped revolutionise long-haul travel.
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce described the vintage livery as a flying tribute to the airline’s history of innovation.
“As we celebrate our 95th birthday today, I hope this livery inspires a sense of pride in what our national airline has achieved during all those years of taking Australians around the world and bringing them safely home again. A large part of the national pride people feel towards the flying kangaroo comes from the fact it has been responsible for so many innovations in global aviation.”
Alan Joyce, CEO, Qantas Group
He also thanked the generations of Aussie that have helped build Qantas over the decades to what it is today: a world-class airline and the pride and joy of Australian aviation.
“None of the past 95 years would have been possible without all those who have worked for Qantas with such commitment and passion. Tens of thousands of people have dedicated their whole careers to the national carrier and many who work here today are the third or fourth generation in their family to do so.”
Alan Joyce, CEO, Qantas Group
Qantas donated its record-breaking B747-400 (VH-OJA) to an aviation museum earlier this year. The aircraft was significant for operating the world’s longest non-stop flight from London to Sydney in 1989, and is now a big tourism draw for the Illawarra region.