Qantas goes retro with Boeing livery

Qantas is getting nostalgic as the 95th birthday celebrations keep on coming.

Qantas will paint a second Boeing 737-800 in a retro livery as part of celebrations marking the national carrier’s 95th year in the air.

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,” she said.

“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.

Here’s a blast for the past for all you aviation geeks!