Qantas called on Aussies to name its new aircraft after the airline announced construction is underway for its first QantasLink Airbus A220 — and the winners have now been revealed.
The theme was based around “native wildlife” with more than 6,000 submissions received before it was narrowed down to 40 names that were voted by the public last week.
There were almost 12,000 votes helping lock in the final names with a bunch of unusual suggestions that didn’t make the cut such as blobfish, crucifix toad, drop bear, dusky hopping mouse, earless dragon and gobbleguts.
The first 10 winning names are koala, little red flying-fox, Tasmanian devil, sugar glider, platypus, rainbow lorikeet, crimson rosella, whale shark, echidna and wedge-tailed eagle.
Additional names will be revealed as more aircraft are delivered in the coming years.
“We received thousands of entries ranging from iconic Australian animals to some of the lesser known and curiously named species,” QantasLink CEO Rachel Yangoyan said.
“The number of unique suggestions is a reminder of how lucky Australia is to be home to so
many rare and remarkable creatures.”
Qantas partnered with Wildlife Health Australia, the national co-ordinating body for wildlife health, to finalise the shortlist of names.
“Our biodiversity, especially wildlife, is unique, making its conservation crucial,” Chair professor Peter Bridgewater said.
“It’s great that naming aircraft after some of our iconic wildlife will promote not just the animals but also how important they are to Australia’s identity.”
Ms Yangoyan said teams across QantasLink are counting down the days until its first brand new A220 aircraft touches down in Australia next week, adding that they’re excited to introduce it to customers in the new year.
The A220s will gradually replace QantasLink’s Boeing 717 fleet which operate routes across Australia.
It will have double the range of the 717, with the first aircraft to operate flights between Melbourne and Canberra. Subsequent aircraft will be deployed to other parts of the regional and domestic network.
It is also expected to open up new domestic and short-haul international routes as more aircraft enter the fleet.
The aircraft burn less fuel, generate fewer emissions and are quieter than the older aircraft they replace, according to the airline.
The aircraft, Minyma Kutjara Tjukurpa, was unveiled last month with a special Indigenous livery as part of the Qantas Group’s Flying Art Series, and is the one exception to the A220 native animal naming convention.
Back in 2017, the airline ran a similar competition and 60,000 suggestions flooded in to name eight new 787-9 Dreamliners.
It couldn’t be anything; Aussies had to follow criteria and choose a name based on people, places or things, that reflected the true spirit of Australia.
The names that made the cut were: Great Barrier Reef, Boomerang, Skippy, Waltzing Matilda, Uluru, Great Southern Land, Quokka and Dreamtime.
At the time, former CEO Alan Joyce joked that while there were a few suggestions “that are best left unmentioned”.
He said he hoped Aussies would get a sense of pride or have a little chuckle when they saw Quokka on the gate at London Heathrow Airport waiting to take them home.
The new names were emblazoned beneath the cockpit window on each Dreamliner.