[Robert Zweck]

Port Lincoln TIMES
Qantas plane takes the name of the region it flies to
BILLIE HARRISON

02 Mar, 2010 12:30 AM

THE new QantasLink Q400 aircraft flying between Adelaide and Port Lincoln
will bear the name of the airline's only regional destination in South
Australia.

The "Eyre Peninsula" was officially named at a ceremony at the Port Lincoln
Airport on Thursday.

The $30 million aircraft is one of QantasLink's fleet of 21 new Q400
aircraft purchased since 2006.

Only four of the new aircraft have been named, including the new aircraft
dedicated to the Port Lincoln to Adelaide route.

Qantas corporate communication senior adviser Kristy McSweeney said it was
the first Qantas aircraft to be dedicated to one port, which influenced the
choice for the name.

She said a lot of consideration went into the naming of aircraft including
consultation with historians and aviation experts but the decision to name
this aircraft Eyre Peninsula was a natural choice.

"Instead of Port Lincoln we decided to name it after the whole region
because we are here to support growth and tourism across the entire Eyre
Peninsula region," Ms McSweeney said.

NAMING CEREMONY: QantasLink's newly named "Eyre Peninsula" aircraft was
officially launched by Port Lincoln deputy mayor Neville Starke, Lower Eyre
Peninsula mayor Julie Low, Qantas regional airlines general manager Narendra
Kumar and South Australian regional general manager Roch van Delft last
week.