Retired QantasLink Fokker F100 Finds New Home at Australian Aviation Museum

The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society has acquired a retired QantasLink Fokker F100, which will be exhibited at Shellharbour Airport. The aircraft, registered VH-NPU and named Meekatharra, was donated by QantasLink after its final flight across Australia. This is the second F100 that QantasLink has given to the organization, following a previous donation to the Parkes Museum.

Background Meekatharra began flying for QantasLink in December 2016 and logged over 11,250 flight hours and roughly nine million kilometers across 7,543 flights during its time with the airline. The aircraft carried an estimated one million passengers throughout regional Western Australia, supporting the region's resource industry. Before joining QantasLink, Meekatharra flew for American Airlines and Austrian Airlines.

The F100 fleet played a significant role in connecting communities across Western Australia, including Kalgoorlie, Newman, and Paraburdoo. QantasLink's Western Australian network currently operates over 600 flights per week to more than 25 regional destinations, as well as routes to Darwin, Newcastle, Hobart, Christmas Island, and the Cocos Islands.

Fleet Details The current Western Australian fleet includes 40 aircraft across the Fokker 100, Airbus A319, and Airbus A320 types. However, QantasLink is gradually retiring its F100 fleet in favor of Embraer E190 aircraft, which are expected to improve reliability, fuel efficiency, and passenger comfort. The airline's first E190 is expected to arrive at Perth Airport next month.

Retirement and Legacy Mark Dal Pra, Managing Director of QantasLink, acknowledged the important role Meekatharra played in connecting regional communities across Western Australia for close to a decade. He also thanked the volunteers who will help ensure the aircraft's story continues to be told. Bob De La Hunty, President and Chief Pilot of HARS, noted that Meekatharra will join other significant aircraft in helping tell the story of the planes that connected regional communities and supported industry across Western Australia.

The following aircraft are part of the HARS collection: | Aircraft | Registration | Donor | | --- | --- | --- | | Fokker F100 | VH-NPU | QantasLink | | Boeing 747-400 | VH-OJA | Qantas | | Boeing 707-138 | | Qantas |

Meekatharra will sit alongside Qantas' first Boeing 747-400, which has become one of the museum's most visited attractions after 26 years of service. The donation of Meekatharra to HARS has been seen as a natural fit, helping preserve important parts of Australian aviation history.