Qantas has revealed a Great Barrier Reef–inspired livery on its seventh A321XLR, VH‑OGG “Coral Sea.” The aircraft left the Airbus paint shop in Hamburg this week and will arrive in Australia next month. The design features sea turtles, clownfish, and coral, created in partnership with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
The new livery spans both sides of the 44‑metre aircraft and is designed to highlight Qantas’ long‑term partnership with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation. The airline has supported the foundation since 2009 and committed $10 million over 10 years through the Reef Restoration Fund. The funding helps scientists, Traditional Owners, and tourism operators restore coral across the Great Barrier Reef and other Australian reef systems.
Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef remains one of Australia’s top tourism drawcards. It welcomed 2.3 million visitors last year, supporting businesses and communities across Queensland. Qantas helps drive this demand, operating more than 1,600 domestic and international return flights in and out of Queensland every week. Visitor spending in the state reached $44 billion last year, or $121 million a day.
According to Great Barrier Reef Foundation Managing Director Anna Marsden
Few places on Earth capture the imagination quite like the Great Barrier Reef – its colours, its creatures, its sheer scale.
This aircraft will carry that story to millions of people every year, including those who are lucky enough to fly on her and the many more that will see it on the ground.
We hope it inspires people to not just visit the reef but to care about its future.
Qantas A320XLR
The A321XLR is the newest addition to the Qantas fleet. It can fly more than 3,000 kilometres farther than the Boeing 737 it replaces. Qantas became the first airline in Asia Pacific to operate the type when its first aircraft, Great Ocean Road, entered service in September 2025.
Qantas has ordered 48 A321XLRs. Sixteen of these will feature internationally configured lie‑flat business seats and seat‑back entertainment systems, giving passengers a long‑haul experience on narrow‑body routes.
According to Qantas Domestic Chief Executive Officer Markus Svensson:
The A321XLR is a remarkable aircraft and Coral Sea is the seventh of this aircraft type to join the Qantas fleet.
It’s really special to unveil such a bold livery celebrating the Great Barrier Reef and its extraordinary marine life, and to mark our partnership with the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and the amazing work they do.
Queensland is a critical part of our network, and through the thousands of seats we provide into the state every week, we continue to play an important role in supporting tourism and regional connectivity.
The Qantas Group continues to expand its Queensland network. In 2025, Qantas and Jetstar added 10 new routes across the state. These include new Qantas international flights from Brisbane to Vanuatu, Manila, and Palau, and domestic routes from Cairns to the Sunshine Coast and Darwin to the Gold Coast.
Qantas is also deploying more next‑generation aircraft on Queensland services. The A321XLR now flies between Brisbane and Perth, while the A220 began operating Brisbane–Cairns earlier this month.
The airline will launch its first A321XLR international service in October, connecting Brisbane and Manila.
