VH-VXA-G

[Raymond Rowe]

Have been told by a friend that these aircraft will be sold off in the next 12 months.They were the original American airlines build.

[Zac M]

Although I understand they are not to QANTAS specs, wouldn't it make sense to get rid of the aging 734s first?

[Bernie P]

Originally Posted by Zac M

Although I understand they are not to QANTAS specs, wouldn't it make sense to get rid of the aging 734s first?

Same would go for the ex BA B763's as well?? Just because they are not to QF spec's, doesn’t mean they are not still a viable asset with the QF fleet. They have been flying the ex Ansett/Trans Australia B734's for a while now as a good example of fleet management... (speaking of which, I couldn’t see any pics in A.Net of these in AN colours, did they get delivered to them, or direct to QF but too late to change the customer code? Similarly, these ones that were meant for AA, got the customer code changed, at what point can this happen, before delivery? Before final assembly, in which case, could they not be changed to QF spec at this point, and what parts are these not to QF spec's??)

[Nick Te Mata]

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.

[Bernie P]

@Todd and @Nick...

Thanks for the clarifications! I thought I had read/seen something along the lines of the Qantas, Ansett and Australian, I just could quite remember the finer details!! Additionall, Nick, thanks for the detail re customer codes, there was a thread on A.Net (last week?) about customer codes etc, and the last minute swap of the KE B748, as it was originally ordered by someone else, can't recall just now though...

Thanks heaps guys!

[Raymond Rowe]

The reason they are getting rid of those 7 is because they are heavier than the rest of the Qantas 737-800..They also have the more powerful engines on the VX series.They could be around for at least 12 months. Once these 7 are sold i have been told they will derate the rest of the VX series engines.Making them compatible with the rest of the fleet.

[James S.]

Great, another Aboriginal scheme lost.

[Todd Milton]

Bernie, Ansett never had any 734's, only 733's which stayed with them until the end! They also had some 732's for a very short while which were sold off and replaced with the more efficient 733. Australian received 734's and then they moved over to Qantas.