QANTAS has unveiled its latest aircraft in its Flying Art Series.

The first (of 29) Airbus A220-300 (VH-X4A, msn 55253, ex C-FPGP) will wear a special green and white Aboriginal livery. The new A220-300s will replace the older Boeing 717-200s and Fokker 100s in the QantasLink fleet. The new 137-seat A220-300s will be operated by National Jet Systems.

VH-X4A is the sixth in the QANTAS fleet to wear a special Aboriginal livery.

The series started in 1994 with Wunala Dreaming.

The airline has released the first photos of VH-X4A.

QANTAS later issued this statement:

Introducing our first ever QantasLink

Airbus A220, fresh out of the paint shop

The aircraft is set to arrive in Australia before the end of the year and is the first of 29 A220s coming to the Qantas Group as part of its domestic fleet renewal program.

The next-generation A220s have double the range of the Boeing 717s they’re gradually replacing, use less fuel, and are capable of flying direct between any two cities or towns in Australia. The first A220 features a striking livery design and is the sixth aircraft to join Qantas’ Flying Art Series, which has showcased Aboriginal art since 1994’s Wunala Dreaming in partnership with Balarinji Design.

Around 100 painters worked on the livery for two weeks, which features 20,000 dots and is based on artwork by senior Pitjantjatjara artist Maringka Baker.

Telling the Dreaming story of two sisters who travel across remote Australia together, covering vast distances to find their way home, the aircraft is named after the artwork “Minyma Kutjara Tjukurpa – The Two Sisters Creation Story“.