The first Qantas Airbus A-220 has touched down in Tasmania – at Launceston Airport.
Launceston is the first non-capital city to receive the new aircraft which will replace the ageing fleet of Boeing 717s by the end of the month.
The aircraft are a significant improvement on their predecessor, with 25 percent reduced carbon dioxide emissions and around half the noise of the older aircraft.
Tourism Tasmania acting CEO Vanessa Pinto hopes their eco friendly credentials will appeal to travellers who place value on reducing their enviro footprint.
“In tourism, we know people are making conscious choices about how they travel,” she said.
“And they want to have those choices and they want to be able to make a difference.”
Airport CEO Shane O’Hare says the new aircraft will serve exclusively Melbourne to Launceston, and then in a few weeks (October 27) they’ll start operating between Sydney and Launceston.
