Qantas Group CEO, Alan Joyce, revealed the new design together with the new Business Suites and Economy seats that will feature on the B787 (see separate release) to a hangar of around 1,000 employees and guests in Sydney.

“Since the image of a kangaroo first appeared on a Qantas aircraft more than 80 years ago, it’s come to represent the spirit of Australia. When passengers see the Qantas tail at airports around the world, it’s a symbol of home,” said Mr Joyce.

“We wanted to make sure our brand remained familiar but we also wanted it to be more modern and dynamic, like the 787 and like Qantas.

“When we looked at the history, we found that the logo has been updated around the time of a game-changing new aircraft joining the fleet. It’s a tradition that goes back to the Lockheed Constellation in 1947, the B747-300 in 1984 and the A380 in 2007.

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is the next flagship of the Qantas fleet. Like other remarkable aircraft before it, it lets us do more and take Australians further. And like at other big moments in our history, we’re marking a new era with a new look. It is only the fifth time we have changed the iconic ‘roo’, paying tribute to our past and pointing the way to an exciting future.

NEW QANTAS BRAND – SUMMARY OF KEY DESIGN CHANGES ON OUR AIRCRAFT 

• A streamlined Kangaroo on the tail of the aircraft, with shading to give it a sense of depth and movement. The Kangaroo itself has been simplified for a cleaner, more modern look.
• A silver band has been added to the rear of the aircraft, flowing from the tail through to the rear of the fuselage for a more premium feel and more contrast between the red tail and the rest of the aircraft.
• A new, slimmer font for the world ‘Qantas’ on the side of the aircraft and the colour made slightly lighter.
• The word Qantas is added to the belly for increased visibility when aircraft are flying overhead.
• Adding the Kangaroo to the inside curved edge of the wingtips so that they are in-flight and meaning they will also appear in pictures people take out the aircraft windows.
• Replacing, centring and enlarging the Kangaroo that appears on outboard engine cowls, so that it is more prominent and identifiable.
• Re-introducing the iconic ‘winged Kangaroo’ that featured on Qantas tails in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s by placing it under the cockpit window and integrating it with the aircraft name currently in this position (note: the actual aircraft names are unchanged).
• The classic ‘Qantas red’ and white of the fuselage are unchanged.