Qantas / QantasLink (Cobham Aviation) Boeing B717-200 VH-NXJ in New 'Silver-Roo' Colours Visits CQ at Rockhampton Airport This Week

On Sunday 13 September, QantasLink (Cobham Aviation-operated) Boeing B717-200 VH-NXJ made its first visit into Central Queensland only days after returning to Australia after it was re-painted into the new Qantas / QantasLink 'Silver-Roo' colour scheme.  It called into Rockhampton Airport while operating the QJE1794/5 service from and back to Brisbane.

VH-NXJ at Mount Isa Airport this week

VH-NXJ was back at Rockhampton Airport again on Monday 14 September, again operating the QJE1794/5 service from and back to Brisbane.

VH-NXJ underwent planned maintenance at Singapore (Seletar) Airport during August and it is believed that while it was there, it was re-painted into the new Qantas / QantasLink colour scheme. VH-NXJ ferried back to Australia at the end of last week and is now the eleventh of the fleet of Cobham Aviation-operated Boeing B717-200 regional jets to wear the new and updated Qantas livery and kangaroo logo, which was introduced to coincide with the introduction the Boeing B787 Dreamliner into service with the airline in 2017.

It also appears that the previously un-named VH-NXJ has now been named 'Kakadu National Park'.

Of interest, VH-NXJ has had an interesting history to the present day. The Boeing B717-2BL (c/n 55166-5116) was originally ordered new in 2003 by Midwest Airlines, Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the USA and was entered onto the US Aircraft Register as N902ME in February 2003.

N902ME at LaGuardia in 2009 (Tom Turner / https://www.flickr.com/)

It operated with the airline until 2009 and was stored at Victorville soon after.  In late 2009, the B717-200 was leased to Mexicana Click and operated with that airline until 2010 before being stored at Mexico City.  

N902ME operating in Mexico in 2010 (Carlos Ontiveros / https://www.flickr.com/)

It then returned to storage at Victorville where it remained until 2012 before the B717 was eventually ferried to Miami, Florida in May where it was prepared for lease to Qantas Airways.  It then departed to Australia, arriving in Adelaide in early May 2012.

N902ME arrives into Adelaide Airport at the end of its delivery flight (File photo)

It was then registered VH-NXJ with National Jet Systems (now Cobham Aviation Services) as the registered operator. VH-NXJ operated its first QantasLink revenue service flying as QJE1908 from Perth to Karratha in May 2012.

Photos taken by Johno Neilsen and Tony Haynes  ©