On March 1, 2024, the first two of 29 Airbus A220 jets on order began their commercial scheduled flights. They are significantly more fuel efficient than the Boeing 717 they will replace. The state-of-the-art A220 is not only almost 50 percent quieter than its predecessor, but also produces up to 25 percent fewer CO2 emissions. With almost twice the range, the A220 can fly between any two points in Australia and to other international destinations. Qantas called on its fellow Australians to help them name their new A220 fleet by voting on names from local wildlife. The name “Koala” was clearly a favorite among the many participants and thus found its way onto the nose of VH-X4B.