Updated 10 November


Mendoowoorrji, Qantas’ 69th Boeing 737, and the fifth to be painted in an Aboriginal paint scheme “which captures the heart of the Kimberley region” has broken cover in Seattle.

The Boeing 737-800, registered VH-XZJ, was formally handed over in Seattle on Friday and will arrive in Sydney on Monday.

For the first time Qantas’ 93 year history, the trademark red tail colour has been altered to match the earthy tones of Paddy Bedford’s art on which Mendoowoorrji is based.
Mendoowoorrji is the name given to a line of hills running between Thoonbi (the Ord River) and Thoowoonggoonarri (Tunganary Gorge) located to the south east of Bedford Downs in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Qantas indigenous flying art began in 1994, with the commissioning of its first indigenous paint scheme Wunula Dreaming applied to 747-400 VH-OJB – at the time the world’s largest piece of flying art. The scheme was later applied to 747-400 -OEJ. The scheme was followed by the painting of 747-300 VH-EBU as Nalanji Dreaming. The third scheme was commissioned in 2002, with the painting of 737-800 VH-VXB as Yananyi Dreaming, which continues to fly today.

More pictures from Mendoowoorrji’s photo shoot high above Washington state. Follow the delivery with the hastag #QFflyingart