Qantas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Qantas

Founded	16 November 1920; 104 years ago (1920-11-16) Winton, Queensland, Australia
Commenced operations	2 November 1922; 102 years ago (1922-11-02)
AOC #	CASA.AOC.0001
Hubs	Brisbane Melbourne Sydney
Secondary hubs	Adelaide Perth
Focus cities	Cairns Singapore Darwin
Frequent-flyer program	Qantas Frequent Flyer
Alliance	Oneworld
Subsidiaries	QantasLink Jetstar Qantas Freight Qantas Holidays Express Ground Handling Qantas Ground Services TripADeal (51%)
Fleet size	125
Destinations	104
Headquarters	Mascot, New South Wales, Australia
Key people	Richard Goyder AO (Chairman) Vanessa Hudson (CEO)
Revenue	A$19.81 billion (2023)
Operating income	A$2.47 billion (2023)
Total assets	A$20.3 billion (2023)
Total equity	A$10 million (2023)
Employees	23,500 (2023)

Qantas Airways Limited is Australia's main airline. It is the largest airline in Australia and Oceania when you look at how many planes it has, and how many international flights and places it flies to. Qantas is the third-oldest airline in the world and the oldest in any English-speaking country. It was started in November 1920. Qantas also helped create the Oneworld airline group.

The name Qantas comes from its first name, Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services. This is because it first served areas in Queensland and the Northern Territory. People often call it "The Flying Kangaroo" because of its logo. It is thought to be the only airline that flies to all seven continents. This includes special sightseeing flights to Antarctica, along with regular flights to Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, and South America.

Qantas has its main office in Mascot, a suburb of Sydney. This is right next to its main hub at Sydney Airport. As of March 2023, Qantas Group carried about 60.8% of all passengers on flights within Australia. Other smaller airlines, like QantasLink, fly to smaller towns and some shorter international routes. Qantas also owns Jetstar, which is a cheaper airline that flies both within Australia and New Zealand, and to other countries.

History of Qantas

The first QANTAS office in Longreach, Queensland, in 1921.

A QANTAS Avro 504K plane from 1921.

Qantas Empire Airways Short Empire flying boats at Rose Bay in Sydney, 1939.

Qantas was started in Winton, Queensland on November 16, 1920. It was founded by Hudson Fysh, Paul McGinness, and Fergus McMaster. Its first name was Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited. The first plane the airline used was an Avro 504K. The main office moved to Longreach, Queensland in 1921 and then to Brisbane in 1930.

QEA Era: Flying Further

In 1934, QANTAS teamed up with Britain's Imperial Airways (which later became British Airways). They formed a new company called Qantas Empire Airways Limited (QEA). In December 1934, this new airline started flying between Brisbane and Darwin. QEA began international flights in May 1935, extending its service from Darwin to Singapore. Imperial Airways then flew passengers from Singapore to London.

When World War II started, many of QEA's planes were damaged or destroyed. Most of their planes were taken by the Australian government to help with the war. In 1943, flights using flying boats started again. These flew between the Swan River in Perth and Koggala Lake in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). This connected with the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) service to London.

Qantas first used its famous kangaroo logo on the "Kangaroo Route" in 1944. This route went from Sydney to Karachi, where BOAC crews took over for the rest of the trip to the UK. In 1947, the Australian government bought QEA. After this, Qantas focused only on international flights. Soon after, QEA started flying to places outside the British Empire, like Tokyo and Hong Kong. In 1957, Qantas House, its main office, opened in Sydney.

The Jet Age and Growth

A Qantas Boeing 707 at Heathrow Airport, London, in 1969.

In June 1959, Qantas started using jet planes with its first Boeing 707–138. On September 14, 1992, Qantas joined with another Australian airline called Australian Airlines. In 1993, Australian Airlines' planes started to be painted with the Qantas logo. Qantas was slowly sold back to private owners between 1993 and 1997. However, a law says that at least 51% of Qantas must always be owned by Australian shareholders.

Oneworld and Jetstar

In 1998, Qantas helped start the Oneworld alliance. This group included American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines, and Cathay Pacific. More airlines joined later.

Around 2000, a new cheaper airline called Virgin Blue (now Virgin Australia) started flying in Australia. This made Qantas lose some of its customers. To compete, Qantas created its own budget airline, Jetstar, in 2001. When its main competitor, Ansett Australia, stopped flying in September 2001, Qantas's market share grew.

Qantas also tried to bring back the Australian Airlines name for a short time (2002-2006) as a budget international airline. But they decided to expand Jetstar internationally instead, including to New Zealand. In 2004, Qantas also invested in other Jetstar airlines in Asia, like Jetstar Asia. They did the same for Jetstar Pacific in Vietnam (2007) and Jetstar Japan (2012).

In 2018, a Qantas Boeing 787 made history by flying non-stop from Australia to Europe for the first time. Flight 9 (QF9) flew for 17 hours and 14,498 km (9,009 miles) from Perth Airport to London Heathrow. On October 20, 2019, Qantas completed the longest commercial flight ever at that time. It flew from New York City to Sydney using a Boeing 787–9 Dreamliner in 19 hours and 20 minutes.

COVID-19 Pandemic Impact

The Qantas Campus in Mascot, New South Wales (2022).

On March 19, 2020, Qantas had to stop about 60% of its flights within Australia. It also stopped all international flights and put two-thirds of its employees on leave. This was because of new travel rules during the COVID-19 pandemic. To survive, Qantas had to cut 6,000 jobs and raise A$1.9 billion. Qantas also sold its share in Jetstar Pacific to Vietnam Airlines.

In July 2020, Qantas stopped using its last Boeing 747-438ER planes. These planes had been flying for almost 49 years. All twelve of its Airbus A380 planes were put into storage for at least three years. The pilots of the last Boeing 747 flight drew the shape of the Qantas kangaroo logo in the sky before landing the plane in the Mojave Desert.

In November 2020, Qantas said that passengers flying overseas would need to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccine. The airline's CEO, Alan Joyce, said that a vaccine would be very important for international travel. Qantas also announced another 2,000 job cuts to reduce its financial losses. In August 2021, Qantas made it a rule that all 22,000 of its employees had to be fully vaccinated.

In May 2022, Qantas ordered twelve A350-1000 planes from Airbus. These planes will be used for non-stop flights from Sydney to London starting in late 2025.

Non-Stop Flight Routes

In August 2022, Qantas announced plans for non-stop flights between Auckland and New York, starting in June 2023. Qantas flights would start in Sydney. Later, in 2025, they plan to have non-stop Sydney–New York flights as part of "Project Sunrise." Qantas wants to make it easier to fly directly from Australian cities to New York City and London. In February 2023, Qantas announced that it had made a profit of A$1.7 billion in the second half of 2022, after losing money during COVID.

Where Qantas Flies

Qantas offers special sightseeing flights to Antarctica for Croydon Travel. These flights started in 1977 but were stopped for some years after a plane crash in 1979. Qantas started them again in 1994. Even though these flights don't land, they need special training for the crew because of things like whiteout conditions.

On September 29, 2014, Qantas started non-stop service between Sydney and Dallas/Fort Worth using an Airbus A380. This was the world's longest passenger flight on the world's largest passenger aircraft at the time. In March 2016, Emirates' new Auckland-Dubai service became longer. In 2018, Qantas started non-stop flights between Perth and London using Boeing 787 planes. The first flight left Perth on March 24.

On March 19, 2020, Qantas stopped all international flights and about 60% of domestic flights. This was from the end of March until at least May 31, 2020, because of new travel rules during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sharing Flights with Other Airlines

As of October 2016, Qantas had agreements to share flights with many other airlines. This means you can book a flight with Qantas, but part of your journey might be on another airline's plane.

Qantas also works closely with American Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and Emirates on some routes.

Qantas Planes

As of August 2023, Qantas and its smaller airlines had 337 planes. This includes 79 planes for Jetstar Airways, 116 for QantasLink, and 17 for Qantas Freight.

Leaders of Qantas

The people who lead Qantas Airways Limited are listed from 1993 onwards. This is when Qantas shares started to be traded on the stock market again. Before that, the Australian government owned all the shares.

Qantas Headquarters

Qantas Headquarters in Mascot, Sydney.

Qantas' main office is at the Qantas Centre in Mascot, Sydney. In December 2013, the headquarters building was updated.

Qantas Airlines and Companies

Qantas has owned several passenger airlines over the years, including:

A Bombardier Q400 plane from QantasLink.

• Australia Asia Airlines – flew from 1990 to 1996 to Taiwan.
• Impulse Airlines – bought by Qantas in 2001 and used to start Jetstar Airways.
• Australian Airlines – an international leisure airline that flew from 2002 to 2006.
• QantasLink – Qantas' regional airline brand, which includes four smaller Qantas airlines.
• Jetstar – Qantas' current low-cost airline.
• Jetconnect – a Qantas company that flew between New Zealand and Australia until 2018.

Qantas also has a cargo service called Qantas Freight. This service uses planes operated by its company Express Freighters Australia and also leases planes from Atlas Air. Qantas fully owns the company Australian airExpress, which handles logistics and air freight.

Community and Sponsorships

Qantas works with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community through its special program. In 2015-2018, Qantas reported that 1% of its staff were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people.

Qantas has also bought and given Aboriginal art. Some Qantas planes have been painted with beautiful Aboriginal art designs. These designs were inspired by artists like Emily Kame Kngwarreye, Rene Kulitja, and Paddy Bedford.

A Qantas Boeing 747-400 with a special design for the Australian Grand Prix at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), 2011.

For many years, Qantas had a famous TV ad campaign in America. It showed a live koala who joked, "I hate Qantas" because too many tourists were coming to Australia. These ads are considered some of the best commercials ever. Another long-running ad campaign features children's choirs singing Peter Allen's "I Still Call Australia Home" at famous places. This song has also been used in Qantas's safety videos since 2018.

Qantas is a major sponsor of the Australia national rugby union team and the Socceroos (Australia's national soccer team). Qantas was also the main sponsor for the Formula One Australian Grand Prix from 2010 to 2012. In December 2011, Qantas became the official airline for the Australia national cricket team.

Plane Designs (Liveries)

Indigenous Art Designs

Two Qantas planes currently have special Indigenous Australian art designs. One plane, a Boeing 737-800, has a design called Mendoowoorrji. This design was inspired by the artist Paddy Bedford. The other plane, a Boeing 787, has a design inspired by Emily Kame Kngwarreye's 1991 painting Yam Dreaming. This design shows the yam plant, which is very important in Aboriginal culture.

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  A Boeing 747-400ER in 2006 with the Wunala Dreaming design.

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  A Boeing 747-300 in 2004 with the Nalanji Dreaming design.

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  A Boeing 737-800 in 2005 with the Yananyi Dreaming design.

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  A Boeing 737-800 in 2015 with the Mendoowoorrji design.

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  A Boeing 787-9 in 2018 with the Yam Dreaming design.

Qantas planes have had Aboriginal art designs before. The first was Wunala Dreaming, which was on Boeing 747 planes from 1994 to 2012. This design was red and showed spirits in the form of kangaroos. The second design was Nalanji Dreaming, on a Boeing 747-300 from 1995 to 2005. It was a bright blue design inspired by rainforests and tropical seas. The third design was Yananyi Dreaming, which showed Uluru.

Retro Roo Designs

1971 retrojet design (2014)

1959 retrojet design (2015)

Boeing 737-800s with 'retro-roo' designs

In November 2014, Qantas announced that a new Boeing 737–800 would have a "retro-livery." This design was based on the airline's 1971 look, with the famous 'Flying Kangaroo' on its tail. The plane was delivered on November 17. Qantas announced a second "retro roo" Boeing 737 in October 2015. On November 16, 2015, the airline showed off this second plane, which had a design from 1959 to celebrate Qantas's 95th birthday.

Other Plane Designs

Some Qantas planes have had special designs to promote other things. These include the telecommunications company Optus, the Disney movie Planes, the Australian national soccer team (the Socceroos), and the Australian national rugby team (the Wallabies). Two planes also had special designs promoting the Oneworld airline alliance. Before the 2017 Sydney Mardi Gras, Qantas decorated one of its planes with rainbow letters and a rainbow flag on the tail.

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  VH-VZD advertising Optus

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  VH-OJS advertising Socceroos

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  VH-OGG advertising Planes

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  VH-OQH advertising the Australian Wallabies rugby team

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  VH-ZNJ with 100th anniversary of Qantas' livery

Inside the Plane

International Flights

First Class

A Qantas first-class suite on the Airbus A380.

First class is only on the Airbus A380 planes. It has 14 private suites. The seats face forward for takeoff, but they can turn to the side for sleeping or eating. They are very long (212 cm when flat) and wide (74 cm). Each suite has a 43 cm widescreen TV. You can also charge your devices with power outlets and USB ports. Passengers can use a lounge area on the upper deck of the plane.

These seats were updated on refurbished Airbus A380 planes starting in late 2019. The new seats have better cushions and bigger entertainment screens.

Business Class

Business Suites

Qantas Business Suite on all Boeing 787, Airbus A330 and some Airbus A380 planes.

Business Suites are on all Boeing 787, Airbus A330, and some Airbus A380 planes. These seats lie completely flat and are arranged so that everyone has aisle access. The Business Suite was first used on the A330 in October 2014. It includes a touchscreen entertainment system. By the end of 2016, all of Qantas' Airbus A330 planes had these new business class seats.

Business Skybeds

Qantas Business Skybed 2 on some Airbus A380 planes.

Business Skybeds are only on some A380 planes. The first version of these seats was used from 2003 to 2019. They were long (152 cm) and wide (54.6 cm), but they were angled-flat, not completely flat. The second version, from 2008, is longer (203 cm) and lets passengers lie completely flat.

In 2019, Qantas started putting the newer Business Suites (like those on the A330 and 787) into its Airbus A380 planes.

Premium Economy

A Qantas Premium Economy seat on the Boeing 787.

Premium economy class is on all Airbus A380 and Boeing 787–9 planes. On the Airbus A380, the seats are very long (96.5 to 106.7 cm) and wide (49.5 cm). On the Boeing 787, the seats are arranged in rows of 2-3-2. The number of seats depends on the plane type.

In 2019, Qantas started putting new Premium Economy seats (like those on the Boeing 787) into its Airbus A380 planes.

Economy Class

Qantas international economy cabin on the Airbus A380.

International Economy class is available on all Qantas passenger planes. The seats are usually 78.7 cm long and 43.2 to 44.5 cm wide. The seating arrangements vary by plane type. On the A380, there are four self-service snack bars between the cabins.

In 2019, Qantas started updating its Airbus A380 planes with new Economy seats. These new seats have better cushions and improved entertainment systems.

In-flight Entertainment

Qantas in-flight entertainment (IFE) system in Premium Economy.

All Qantas planes have some kind of video and audio entertainment. Qantas uses different types of in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems.

The "Q" inflight entertainment system is on all Airbus A330-300, A330-200, Boeing 787, and some Airbus A380 planes. This system was introduced in 2014 and updated in 2018. It has many entertainment choices, touch screens, and features like Wi-Fi and mobile phone use. You can also connect USB and iPod devices. A "my flight" feature shows maps, music lists, and a timeline for meals and rest times on long flights.

In 2017, Qantas started offering free Wi-Fi on its planes flying within Australia. This service uses satellites to provide faster internet speeds than other in-flight Wi-Fi.

Services for Passengers

Lounges

The Qantas Club

The Qantas Club Lounge at Sydney Airport.

Qantas has 12 Qantas Club lounges across Australia for domestic flights. You can enter if you are flying domestic Business Class, are a Qantas Club Member, or have Qantas Gold, Platinum, Platinum One, OneWorld Sapphire, or Emerald status.

Business Lounge

Domestic Business Lounges

The Qantas International Business Lounge at Sydney Airport.

Qantas has domestic Business Lounges in Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. You can enter if you are flying domestic Business Class, or have Qantas Platinum, Platinum One, or OneWorld Emerald status. These lounges usually have better food and drinks than the Qantas Club lounges.

International Business Lounges

The Qantas International Business Lounge at Singapore Changi Airport.

Qantas has international Business Lounges in Auckland, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Sydney, and Wellington. You can enter if you are flying international Business Class, First Class, are a Qantas Club Member, or have Qantas Gold, Platinum, Platinum One, OneWorld Sapphire, or Emerald status. Qantas also has International lounges in Brisbane, London, Perth, and Singapore. These lounges offer food inspired by Neil Perry's Spice Temple restaurant.

First Lounge

The Qantas Flagship First Class Lounge at Sydney Airport.

Qantas has international First Lounges in Auckland, Melbourne, Singapore, Sydney, and Los Angeles. These lounges offer even better food and drinks than the Business Lounges. You can enter if you are flying First Class, or have Qantas Platinum, Platinum One, or OneWorld Emerald status. Members of the Qantas Chairmans Lounge can also enter these lounges.

Chairmans Lounge

Qantas has domestic Chairmans Lounges in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. These lounges offer the best food and drinks. You can only enter if you are a Qantas Chairmans Lounge Member. This membership is by invitation only and is often given to important people like politicians, celebrities, and company executives.

Qantas Frequent Flyer Program

The Qantas frequent-flyer program rewards loyal customers. Qantas says the program started in 1987. You earn points based on how far you fly, and you get bonuses depending on your travel class. You can also earn points on other Oneworld airlines and through other partners like credit cards, car rental companies, and hotels. You can use your points to book flights or upgrade your seats on Qantas and partner airlines.

As you earn more points, you can reach different status levels: Silver (Oneworld Ruby), Gold (Oneworld Sapphire), Platinum, and Platinum One (Oneworld Emerald).

The number of people in the program has grown a lot. In 2000, there were 2.4 million members. By 2018, there were 12.3 million members, which is almost half of Australia's population!

In July 2008, Qantas made big changes to the program. One new feature was "Any Seat rewards," which means members can now use points to book any seat on a plane, not just special reward seats. Another new feature was "Points Plus Pay," which lets members use a mix of cash and points to book flights.

Safety and Incidents

It is often said that Qantas has never had a plane crash. While it's true that no Qantas jet airliner has ever crashed with deaths, the airline did have eight fatal accidents and one plane shot down between 1927 and 1945, resulting in 63 deaths. Half of these happened during World War II when Qantas planes were helping the military. After the war, Qantas lost four more planes with 21 deaths. The last fatal accidents for Qantas were in 1951, with three crashes in five months. Qantas is known as one of the world's safest airlines, being named the safest for seven years in a row from 2012 to 2019, and again in 2021 and 2023.

Here are some incidents that have happened since World War II:

• On March 23, 1946, a plane disappeared over the Indian Ocean.
• On April 7, 1949, a plane crashed during a training flight but the crew was safe.
• On July 16, 1951, a plane crashed off New Guinea, killing the pilot and six passengers.
• On September 21, 1951, a plane crashed in New Guinea, killing the pilot.
• On December 13, 1951, a plane crashed near Mount Hagen, New Guinea, killing the pilot and two passengers. This was the last fatal accident for Qantas.
• On August 24, 1960, a plane crashed during takeoff in Mauritius but no one died.
• On June 1, 1989, Qantas Flight 5 had a sudden drop in altitude. Many passengers were injured.
• On September 23, 1999, Qantas Flight 1 went off the runway while landing in Bangkok during a thunderstorm. No one died.
• On July 25, 2008, Qantas Flight 30 had a hole in its side and lost air pressure over the South China Sea. The plane landed safely with no injuries.
• On October 7, 2008, Qantas Flight 72 had two sudden drops in altitude, causing serious injuries to passengers. The plane landed safely.
• On November 4, 2010, Qantas Flight 32, an Airbus A380, had an engine problem shortly after taking off from Singapore. The plane returned safely, and no one was injured.

Extortion Attempts

On May 26, 1971, Qantas received a call from someone who said there was a bomb on a plane and demanded $500,000. The police found a real bomb in a locker, so the threat was taken seriously. Qantas paid the money, and it was collected. The person then called again and said the bomb story was a trick. Police later arrested Peter Macari and found some of the money. He was sent to prison.

Awards Qantas Has Won

• 2004 Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award (for the Qantas Skybed)
• 2007 LEAF International Design Award (for the Sydney First Class lounge)
• 2009 Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame (first airline to be included)
• 2009 Australian International Design Award of the Year (for the A380 Economy Class Seat)
• 2010 Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Award (for the A380 First Class suite)
• 2014 ADI Award (for the Qantas Singapore Lounge)
• 2015 Australian Good Design Award (for the Qantas dinner box)
• 2019 Sydney Design Awards Gold (for the Balarinji-Qantas Emily Kame Kngwarreye 787-9 Dreamliner)
• 2022 SkyTrax Awards
• 2022 Designers Institute of New Zealand Award (for Signage)

Images for kids

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  Noritake for Qantas Tableware by David Caon

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  Flight attendant wearing a Qantas uniform (before 2013)

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  The first daylight arrival of a Qantas Airbus A380 at Dubai International Airport on April 1, 2013.

See also

In Spanish: Qantas para niños

• The Double Sunrise
• Qantas Founders Outback Museum
• Qantas House
• Qantassaurus, a dinosaur named after the airline
• Southern Cross Route
• Wallaby Route

General:

• List of airlines of Australia
• List of oldest companies in Australia
• Transport in Australia