Qantas Freight (Pionair Australia) British Aerospace BAe 146-200QC VH-SIF Pops into Mackay Airport - First Visit to CQ!

Early on Wednesday 16 November, Qantas Freight (Pionair Australia) British Aerospace BAe 146-200QC (Quick Change) VH-SIF was noted arriving into Mackay Airport direct from Brisbane as QFA7298.

File photo

After a short time on the ground, it continued up to Cairns as QFA7299.

This is what we believe to be the first time that VH-SIF has called into a Central Queensland Airport since it was delivered to Pionair in 2013 for freight operations on behalf of (at the time) Virgin Australia.  

It seemingly replaced the 'usual' Qantas Freight (Pionair Australia operated) British Aerospace BAe 146-200QT (Quiet Trader) VH-SFV on the Brisbane to Mackay Airport via Rockhampton Airport flight which actually did operate earlier in the week - just not Wednesday...

Of interest, VH-SIF still wears the partial livery of its previous operator Titan Airways (UK) where it operated as G-ZAPN.  Prior to this, the BAe 146 operated for Ansett New Zealand as ZK-NZC in the 1990s.

Photo taken by Tony Haynes  ©