Qantas' Last B767 Performs Its Swan Song

27th Dec 2014

The wide-body long-range airliner has been Qantas' workhorse for more than two decades when it joined the fleet in 1991.

The jetliner performed its last flight today on the Melbourne-Sydney route after 23 years in service with Qantas. Passengers were treated to a chance-of-a-lifetime experience when the plane made a flyover of the Sydney Harbour and received a water cannon salute both from takeoff and landing.

The aircraft was piloted by Capt. Mike Galvin who is also the airline's Flying Operations Head. He took pride in flying the aircraft for the last time, taking part in its historic exit from service. He felt nostalgic about the aircraft, as he had piloted the aircraft for countless times during its stay with Qantas.

The aircraft has carried probably every Australian traveler in its 23 years of service with the flag carrier since 1991 when it joined the fleet.

Qantas first acquired the B767 family in 1985 when it took delivery of B767-238ER. The rest of the B767 family of aircraft started arriving between 1988 and 1991.

The aircraft has logged more than 86,000 flying hours and 27,000 landings since it commenced service with Qantas.

The flag carrier, at one point, had 41 Boeing 767 in its fleet, carrying more than 168 million passengers.

Capt. Galvin was quoted as saying that it is safe to say that almost every Australian traveler who had traveled with Qantas would have flown on one of the airline's 41 B767 planes.

He went on to claim that the ever reliable B767 has carried many prominent persons in Australia including Prime Ministers, the Socceroos team, the Wallabies, as well as the Australian Cricket team.