Qantas has taken delivery of its fifth Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, with the factory-fresh aircraft touching down in Melbourne on Sunday evening.
Registered VH-ZNE, Qantas says the aircraft has been named Skippy, joining VH-ZNA Great Southern Land, VH-ZNB Waltzing Matilda, VH-ZNC Quokka and VH-ZND Emily Kame Kngwarreye.
VH-ZNE departed Paine Field, adjacent to Boeing’s Everett factory and widebody aircraft delivery centre, a little after 1030am local time on Saturday, landing at Melbourne Airport a little after 7pm on Sunday following a 15h 29m nonstop trans-Pacific crossing.
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Qantas now holds firm orders for 14 787-9s after it exercised options for an additional six aircraft in May, which will allow it to withdraw the Boeing 747-400 from service in 2020.
The four 787-9s delivered to date are allowing Qantas to operate a Los Angeles-Melbourne-Perth-London Heathrow rotation.
The delivery of VH-ZNE and three further 787-9s before the end of the year will allow Qantas to base four aircraft in Brisbane and to replace 747-operated services between Brisbane and Los Angeles, as well as between Los Angeles and New York JFK.
