Qantas Airlines, established on 16 November 1920, commenced operations in March 1921. It proudly serves as Australia's flag carrier and holds the distinction of being the largest airline in the country in terms of fleet size, international destinations, and international flights. Qantas is the third-largest airline globally that is still in operation, with its first international passenger flights launching in May 1935.

Qantas is an acronym derived from its original name, "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services." The airline is a founding member of the Oneworld airline alliance and is headquartered in the Sydney suburb of Mascot, adjacent to its primary hub at Sydney Airport.

As of March 2014, Qantas held a significant 65% share of the Australian domestic market and carried approximately 14.9% of all passengers traveling to and from the country. Qantas operates subsidiary airlines under the QantasLink banner, serving regional centers on select trunk routes within Australia. The airline also owns Jetstar, a low-cost carrier that offers international services from Australia and domestic flights within Australia and New Zealand.

Historical Origins

Founded in Winton by Hudson Fysh, Fergus McMaster, and Paul McGinness, Qantas Airlines started its journey with the Avro 504K aircraft. In 1921, the airline relocated its headquarters to Longreach, and later in 1930, to Brisbane.

The QEA Era

In 1934, QANTAS and Britain's Imperial Airways formed a new company that commenced operations in December 1934, connecting Brisbane and Darwin. International flights commenced in May 1935, with the Darwin service extending to Singapore. However, during World War 2, enemy actions and accidents led to the loss of half of the airline's fleet.

Flight services using flying boats resumed in 1943, linking the Swan River in Western Australia with Koggala Lake. Qantas collaborated with British Overseas Airways Corporation for flights to London.

QEA initiated services to Tokyo, marking the first flights outside the British Empire, while services to Hong Kong also commenced during this period.

Jet Age

Qantas Airlines ushered in the jet age with the delivery of its first Boeing 707-138 in June 1959. Subsequently, Qantas merged with the nationally owned domestic airline, Australian Airlines, on 14 September 1992. The privatization of Qantas occurred between 1993 and 1997.

Oneworld and Jetstar

In 1998, Qantas co-founded the Oneworld alliance alongside British, Canadian, Cathay Pacific, and American airlines, with other carriers joining later. In 2000, the domestic market saw the entry of Virgin Blue, a new discount airline. In response, Qantas established the budget airline Jetstar in 2001.

2001-2019

During this period, Qantas briefly revived the Australian Airlines name for an international budget airline from 2002 to 2006. However, this subsidiary was later discontinued. In 2004, the airline group ventured into the Asian budget market with Jetstar Asia Airways, in which Qantas held a minority stake. Similar investments were made in Jetstar Pacific and Jetstar Japan.

An industrial relations dispute between the Transport Workers Union of Australia and Qantas resulted in the grounding of all Qantas aircraft and a two-day lockout of the airline's staff.

2020s

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Qantas announced on 19 March 2020 that it would suspend about 60% of its domestic flights and place two-thirds of its employees on leave, following government-imposed restrictions. To weather the pandemic's impact, the airline also unveiled plans to cut 6,000 jobs and raise approximately $1.9 billion in new capital.

Qantas announced its decision to divest its 30% stake in Jetstar Pacific to Vietnam Airlines. In July 2020, the airline retired its last Boeing 747. Notably, Qantas Airlines also declared its intention, in 2020, to require proof of Covid-19 vaccination for all international travelers.