A former QantasLink (Network Aviation) Fokker 100, registered VH‑NPU and named “Meekatharra”, has completed its final cross-country ferry flight and will now be preserved for public display at the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) Aviation Museum at Wollongong–Shellharbour Airport in New South Wales. The museum arrival comes as QantasLink continues a multi-year fleet transition away from the Fokker 100 in Western Australia.
The final flight and the aircraft’s QantasLink role
According to Aerospace Global News, VH‑NPU flew its final leg from Kalgoorlie (KGI) to Wollongong–Shellharbour (WOL) on Aug. 17, 2026, ending a long operational life that included thousands of flights supporting remote communities and the fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) resources sector in Western Australia.
In June 2025, FlightGlobal reported that QantasLink selected the Embraer E190 as the preferred replacement for the F100 fleet in WA, with plans to acquire up to 14 mid-life E190s and introduce the first aircraft around end‑2026. FlightGlobal also reported that four F100s were expected to be replaced by four Airbus A320s redeployed following the closure of Jetstar Asia, with three of those A320s expected to enter Network Aviation’s fleet before the end of 2025.
Although VH‑NPU first flew in March 1994, it joined QantasLink in December 2016 and was the last Fokker 100 added to QantasLink’s WA-based fleet, AGN reports. It accumulated more than 11,250 hours for QantasLink and carried roughly 1 million passengers on regional WA services and charter operations, including resources-sector FIFO flying.
QantasLink CEO Mark Dal Pra said the aircraft played an important role connecting WA communities and that QantasLink is “thrilled” it will be preserved by HARS; HARS president and chief pilot Bob De La Hunty said the museum was honoured to be entrusted with the aircraft and credited volunteers for keeping the story alive for visitors.
Why this is a notable museum addition
For HARS, the donation adds to a growing collection of former Qantas aircraft that tells a specific chapter of modern Australian airline history: the transition from classic “thin-route” regional jets (like the F100) to newer, more supportable fleets.
HARS’ Albion Park/Shellharbour site already includes aircraft such as Qantas’ Boeing 747‑438 VH‑OJA and a Boeing 707‑138B (N707JT) donated by John Travolta (under restoration/display planning). The museum also operates a second site at Parkes, which has received other significant airframes.
VH‑NPU is also the second ex‑QantasLink Fokker 100 to go to HARS. Earlier in 2026, Qantas donated VH‑NHO to HARS’ Parkes museum, according to CAPA (citing Qantas’ Feb. 19, 2026, Facebook announcement).
In other words, VH‑NPU’s retirement to HARS isn’t just a single airframe finding a dignified retirement—it’s a visible milestone in a broader shift, as QantasLink moves toward newer aircraft types that can better meet reliability, fuel, and supportability goals in a market where aircraft availability and maintenance capacity matter as much as passenger demand.
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