Qantas Airways - Airline Information

Qantas Airways Limited is Australia’s flag carrier and its largest airline. Its name “Qantas” used to stand as an acronym for “Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services.” Established in Queensland’s outback in 1920, Qantas grew to become Australia’s largest airline, both in the domestic and international route category. It also holds the distinction of being the most continuously operated carrier and the second oldest airline in the world.

Headquartered in Sydney’s Botany Bay and housed in its own Qantas Center, Qantas has been voted the eighth best airline in the world by Skytrax in 2011. It currently holds a 65% share of Australia’s domestic air market, carrying 18.7% of passengers commuting to and from the country.

Qantas Airways flies under the company slogan, “The Spirit of Australia,” and it is regarded as the world’s foremost long distance airline, as well as one of Australia’s strongest brands.

Flying from its primary hubs at the Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport, as well as its secondary hubs at the Brisbane Airport, Adelaide Airport, Perth Airport and Singapore’s Changi Airport, it operates a fleet of 143 aircraft flying passengers to 20 domestic and 21 international destinations. Its international routes cover 14 countries in Africa, North and South America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Qantas Airways also offers chartered sightseeing flights to the Antarctic for Croydon Travel.

Qantas provides First Class seating on their Boeing 747-400 and Airbus A380 flights, Business Class accommodations on all its mainline passenger planes, Premium Economy Class on its Airbus A380 and selected Boeing 747-400 aircraft, and Economy class on all Qantas mainline passenger aircraft.

The airline also has a Frequent Flyer program - the Qantas Frequent Flyer, an exclusive airport lounge for passengers, and offers a free in-flight magazine, The Australian Way, now available as a downloadable app for iPad users.

Among its subsidiary companies include QantasLink, a regional airline brand that operates two of Qantas Airways’ subsidiary carriers and one contact carrier; Jetstar Airways, plying the low-cost domestic and international market; Network Aviation, an air charter airline offering fly in/fly out services to mining companies, Qantas Freight Enterprises; Q Catering; Express Ground Handling; Qantas Holidays, one of the country’s top travel wholesalers, and Qantas Defense Services.