Background Information.

 

Ordered late 1983, Qantas operated seven Boeing 767-238ER from July 1985 until July 2004 for services across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand and on the Pacific and Asian routes. The first aircraft VH-EAJ 'City of Wollongong' was handed over to Qantas at the Boeing Aircraft factory at Everett (Paine Field), Seattle on July 03, 1985. It departing on its delivery flight to Australia as QF7671 via San Francisco, Los Angeles, Honolulu and Nadi before arriving in Sydney on July 05, 1985. Before it touched down in Sydney it performed a series of circuits over Wollongong.

The arrival of the second aircraft VH-EAK 'City of Townsville' at Sydney on July 13, 1985 allowed Qantas to inaugurate Boeing 767-238ER services with the inaugural flight being operated by VH-EAK as QF037 from Melbourne to Wellington on July 30, 1985.

By the time the Boeing 767-238ERs were withdrawn from oprerations they were mainly flying Qantas domestic services. The last Boeing 767-238ER service was flown by VH-EAO 'City of Cairns' when it operated the Sydney - Cairns - Sydney as QF922 / QF923 on July 10, 2004.