American returns to Australia

American Airlines’ return to Australia has received a traditional welcome after touching down in Sydney over the weekend.

Flight AA73, operated by Boeing 777-300ER N720AN, landed on Runway 34L a little after 0700 local time on Saturday after a 14-hour journey from Los Angeles.

It was American’s first flight to Australia since the early 1990s, when it briefly operated a four times weekly LAX-Honolulu-Sydney service using Douglas DC-10 trijets.

The flight received an ARFF monitor cross as it taxied to the international terminal.

American is flying daily between Sydney and Los Angeles as part of its alliance with Qantas on trans-Pacific routes.

Photographer Seth Jaworski captured the aircraft’s arrival.

An aerial shot of American Airlines Boeing 777-300ER N720AN on approach to Sydney Airport. (Seth Jaworski)

Almost there. AA73 moments away from landing at Sydney Airport. (Seth Jaworski)

Flight AA73 receives an ARFF monitor cross to commemorate the inaugural flight to Sydney. (Seth Jaworski)

Meanwhile, American’s return to Australia also coincided with Qantas’s first flight to San Francisco since 2011. QF73 landed at San Francisco International Airport just after 0920 local time on Friday.

Qantas flight QF73 operated by Boeing 747-400ER VH-OEG at San Francisco. (SFO Airport)