Thread: VH-VXA-G
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Old 26th March 2012, 10:13 AM
Nick Te Mata Nick Te Mata is offline
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Bernie, Qantas' fleet of 733s and 734s were ordered by and built to TN (the former Australian Airlines/TAA) spec and delivered directly to them, not Ansett. That's why they carry the -76 customer code, as in 737-476. Qantas then absorbed this fleet when they merged with Australian in 1993-94. The last couple of 734s delivered in the 1995-96 period would have been received by QF in QF colours, but still carry the -76 designator as this was the spec to which they were built.

The one exception to ex-Ansett 737 frames serving in QF colours is the former VH-CZU, an ex-Ansett 737-377 that did serve with Jetconnect early in the piece (approx 2003). This had transferred from AN via a brief stint with DJ, where it wore a reversed, predominantly white, DJ scheme. It never served with QF mainline, however.

All QF 738s from the first frame -VXA carry the QF designator of -38. When QF took over the AA order in 2001 this was a bone of contention, as the first few aircraft were already on the line as 737-823s and were changed to -838s prior to delivery. Whether this was because QF made minor alterations to the AA spec prior to delivery, thus resulting in them technically being delivered in QF spec, I am not sure.

Certainly, however, it seems typically Boeing frames are delivered with the customer code of the original customer that ordered them, regardless of the airline to which they are first delivered, so the AA-QF 738 example is unusual. By contrast, this is why some VS 744s carry the -443 (Alitalia) designator despite those birds never having made it to AZ - there are a number of other examples flying around.
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