Qantas' Great Barrier Reef arrives in Brisbane

On Sunday my family and I returned to our second home, the Brisbane Airport, to watch the arrival of the 7th Qantas Airbus A321-271NY (XLR). This one had a special livery featuring Great Barrier Reef decals, and we were eager to be among the first to see it.

QANTAS AIRBUS A321-271NY (XLR) VH-OGG (MSN 12853)

Qantas now have 7 out of the 28 Airbus A321-271NY (XLR) ordered.

Registration        Name                        Delivery                    

VH-OGA     Great Ocean Road     Delivered 1st of July 2025
VH-OGB     Outback Way             Delivered 24th of August 2025,        
VH-OGC     Seven Peaks Walk     Delivered 5th of December 2025
VH-OGD     Bibbulmun Track       Delivered 22nd February 2026
VH-OGE     Murray River              Delivered 17th of April 2026 
VH-OGF     Red Centre                 Delivered 1st of May 2026
VH-OGG     Coral Sea                   Delivered 14th of June 2026

Qantas has ordered 28 A321XLRs for the mainline Qantas fleet to replace Boeing 737s.
Jetstar will receive a further 12 A321XLRs.

The registrations, VH-OGA, OGB, OGC, etc. were once used by Qantas' Boeing 767 fleet. 

VH-OGA was delivered in September 1988.

The final passenger Boeing 767-300ER in Qantas service was VH-OGL on the 27th of December 2014, it operated flight: QF767 from Melbourne → Sydney and was named City of Wangaratta.

The Boeing 767 played a major role in Qantas history, bridging the gap between the airline’s large 747s and later A330s for nearly four decades. 

It is ironic that the original 767, VH-OGG, featured a special Pixar movie Planes livery, and now the new version of the OGG is also adorned with a special livery.

The A321XLR is expected to become the backbone of Qantas' domestic fleet, gradually replacing the ageing Boeing 737-800 fleet.

Qantas is the first airline in the Asia-Pacific region to operate the A321XLR.

A best way to frame the story is that the A321XLR marks the most significant upgrade to Qantas’ domestic fleet since the Boeing 737 joined in the 1980s, offering transcontinental range along with much better fuel and enhanced passenger comfort.