Qantaslink unveils refreshed Dash 8 aircraft
 

QantasLink’s first upgraded turboprop aircraft will today take to the skies with a refreshed cabin and greater comfort for the airline’s regional customers.

The upgraded Q300 turboprop was unveiled this morning at QantasLink’s hangar facility at Tamworth Airport, the airline’s hub for regional aircraft maintenance. The program to upgrade the fleet of 45 Bombardier Q200, Q300 and Q400 aircraft is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.

Passengers onboard flight QF2003 from Tamworth to Sydney will be the first QantasLink customers to fly on the upgraded turboprop.

The fleet upgrade is part of a multi-million dollar commitment to providing regional passengers with a better overall travel experience.

The improved turboprop experience includes new ergonomic seat cushioning, leather upholstery, tablet device holders, a refreshed colour palette of greys and charcoals and new floor coverings.

Each turboprop aircraft takes around 10 days to upgrade, with up to 13 engineers and project support staff working on each aircraft. The work is timed to coincide with scheduled maintenance and closely aligns the turboprop interiors with those in the QantasLink jet fleet.

QantasLink CEO John Gissing said the airline was excited to unveil the airline’s first upgraded turboprop in Tamworth.

“Our turboprop aircraft are a significant part of our network and we’re committed to investing in product and service for regional Australia,” said Mr Gissing.

“We look forward to welcoming our regional travellers onboard our upgraded turboprop aircraft and offering them a better inflight experience.”

The investment in the turboprop upgrade program coincides with other regional initiatives, including the Qantas Group Pilot Academy expected to open in regional Australia in 2019, and follows the release of a study highlighting the Qantas Group contribution to regional Australia.

Tamworth was last week announced as one of the nine regional centres shortlisted as a possible home to the Pilot Academy. It is expected the Academy will employ more than 40 people in training and support roles, and partner with local businesses and suppliers to support key administrative and catering functions, providing new opportunities to drive economic activity in regional Australia from 2019. A final decision on the Academy’s location is expected to be made in the third quarter of this year.

The first Q300 to be upgraded was repainted with the airline’s updated Kangaroo logo and is named ‘Birdsville’ as part of an initiative promoting destinations around regional Australia.

View our factsheet for more information.

https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/me...gional-flyers/

Q200, TQX was also rolled out in the new interior.

It still has the old paint scheme so no fuss was made about it.

The Q200/300's should be done by year end with the Q400's starting in 2019.

Shame that Qantas doesn’t actually go to Birdsville

Interesting they aren't doing it alongside heavy maintenance? Or are you saying that refurbishments on Q400s will not be done stand alone till 2019? Seems odd to be doing checks where you have the seats out of the aircraft and not do it. QOU is in for maintenance at the moment, will be interested to see if it comes out with the refreshed interior.

Not the first QF bird to carry the name though.

Some may be done while they are in heavy maintenance but the internal communications said the 400’s would commence in 2019.

Given that not a peep was mentioned about TQX being refurbished at the same time as SCE, anything is possible.

Flew on TQX this morning, it does give the cabin a much newer feeling, the 200s and early 300s are/were looking very tired on the inside so will be good to see them all updated...and having seats that are nice and tight and not reclining and moving about on takeoff.

I will be very interested to see what they do with SBG, J and T which are currently fitted with reclining seats unlike the rest of the Qlink Dash 8 fleet.

So which one was called Birdsville

SCE