28 October 2024: Coffs Harbour Airport (CHA) has celebrated the arrival of the new QantasLink Airbus A220 today.
Qantas will operate its A220 between Coffs Harbour and Melbourne providing passengers more choice and flexibility. The first aircraft arrived last night (Sunday 27 October) to an excited crowd of aviation enthusiasts who waited to get photos of the aircraft with its special Indigenous livery.
The A220 will provide an improved passenger experience with 137 seats, including 10 Business class seats, enhanced technology and a greater sense of space throughout the cabin. The introduction of the A220 into Coffs Harbour Airport will also help enhance connectivity between Coffs Harbour and Melbourne, unlocking more opportunities for business and leisure travel.
CHA General Manager Frank Mondello said seeing the A220 touchdown was an exciting milestone for the airport and community that would help connect more family, friends and loved ones.
“Having the new A220 operating directly between Coffs Harbour and Melbourne will be a major boost for the region and our community,” Mr Mondello said.
“The A220 provides an incredible 71,000 seats annually between the two destinations, an increase of 20% on current capacity, with flights arriving in Melbourne in time for dinner. This is a proactive step towards greater regional connectivity.
“Coffs Harbour is only the second regional city in Australia to be serviced by the Qantas A220 and will provide a boost for regional tourism ahead of summer. We are grateful to Qantas for their on-going support to help us connect our community and make it much easier for people to explore our beautiful Coffs Coast region.”
QantasLink CEO Rachel Yangoyan said the A220 would provide an improved experience for travellers to and from Coffs Harbour.
“We are thrilled to bring the new Airbus A220 aircraft to Coffs Harbour for the first time,” said Ms Yangoyan.
“We’ve had great feedback from customers on the A220 since it first started flying on our network earlier this year. It offers more space, larger windows, fast Wi-Fi and specially designed seats that will all vastly improve the travelling experience.”
City of Coffs Harbour Mayor Nikki Williams said: “This boosted Coffs Harbour-Melbourne service provides an enhanced link between our premier regional destination and a major metropolitan market – turbocharging opportunities for business and recreational tourism.
“The Qantas A220 service provides scale and will help Coffs leverage on its rare status as an ECO Destination.”
Ends.
For more information, images and a VNR please contact Heather or Jen at The Comms. People:
Jennifer Swaine | 0438952830 | jen@commspeople.au
Heather Mollins | 0412421411 | heather@commspeople.au