Inaugural Sydney to Gladstone Airport Service Touches Down Monday Morning

With a massive thanks to Jamie C, we have photos of QantasLink’s inaugural Sydney to Gladstone service which touched down at a wet Gladstone Airport early on Monday 4 March.  It was a flight that took three years of negotiations to finally get to Gladstone – but the miserable weather conditions that hit Gladstone Airport meant it nearly didn't land.

Anxious community leaders and first-time passengers breathed a sigh of relief when lights appeared through the clouds and the inaugural Sydney to Gladstone QantasLink service touched down.

The first QLK2120 service was operated by QantasLink’s newest Dash-8-Q400 Next Gen aircraft VH-LQH – which was only delivered to Cairns last month.

VH-LQH was greeted by the Gladstone Airport Fire Service who provided the traditional water cannon salute.

Later VH-LQH operated the return QLK2121 service back to Sydney.

The QantasLink direct flights will be operated by 74-seat Dash-8-Q-400 aircraft, and will operate eight return flights weekly, including twice daily on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays.

A great new service into Gladstone, providing an excellent link the Southern states – all the best to QantasLink!

All photos taken by Jamie C  ©