Virgin Australia (ex REX Airlines) Boeing B737-8FE(WL) VH-RQP (ex VH-BZG) Makes First Visit to CQ at Proserpine (Whitsynday Coast) Airport - Pluys More!

On Friday 10 January, there was an interesting 'first visit' into Central Queensland with Virgin Australia Airlines Boeing B737-8FE(WL) VH-RQP calling into Proserpine (Whitsunday Coast) Airport from and back to Brisbane as VOZ1117/8.

But technically, it isn't the first visit by this particular airframe - MSN 37822 / LN 3355.

The 14.5-year-old airframe was originally flown by Virgin Blue / Virgin Australia from 2010 to 2020 with the registration marking of VH-BZG.

In 2020, it was initially stored at Melbourne (Tullamarine) before being stored at Jakarta in Indonesia.  The aircraft was then re-registered as VH-RQP and re-painted into full Regional Express (REX) Airlines livery with it being delivered and entering service in March 2021.

When REX's jet operations collapsed in 2024, VH-RQP was withdrawn from service and again stored at Tullamarine before being again moved to Jakarta.  In December 2024, VH-RQP returned to Tullamarine before then being re-painted back into full Virgin Australia Airlines livery at Wagga Wagga.

VH-RQP entered service with Virgin Australia on Saturday 4 January.

Of interest, VH-RQP is the second of two former Virgin Australia and REX Airlines aircraft to re-enter service with Virgin with Boeing B737-800 VH-REX starting flying with Virgin on Christmas Eve after also arriving back from Jakarta in late November and then also being re-painted at Wagga Wagga.

Meanwhile, also on Friday 10 January, Kirkhope Aviation (of Melbourne) Beech B200 King Air VH-ZOK landed at Mackay Airport after flying up from Melbourne (Moorabbin).

UPDATE!  On Saturday 11 January, VH-ZOK departed Mackay Airport for Hamilton Island Airport before then returning to Moorabbin but via Bourke.  

After operating the Whitsundays on tourist flights since arriving in November 2024, Commando Skydivers (Victoria) GippsAero GA8-TC320 Airvan VH-SXK flew down from Proserpine (Whitsunday Coast) Airport to Morwell (Latrobe Valley) via Goondiwindi and Temora.  It since looks like it has taken up parachuting operations back at Latrobe Valley.

And Hughes Aviation (Hughes Pastoral Group) (Gympie) Pilatus PC-12/47E NGX VH-8HP has had another busy week flying around the region departing Tierawoomba at the start of the week and landing back there today after visiting such places as Mackay Airport, Tumbar Station, Lake Nash and Mount Isa.

Photos taken by Jonathan Williams, Bernie Proctor and Robert Myers  ©