Qantas Airways - A Brief History
Technically speaking, Qantas is the second oldest airline in the world, however, KLM's takeover by Air France arguably marked the end of the world's oldest independent airline, and enabled Qantas to claim its place as our planet's "most experienced" airline.
Qantas and its regional subsidiaries carry more than 30 million passengers a year, connecting Australia to 81 destinations in 40 countries worldwide, which is certainly a long way from the airline's first aircraft, an Avro 504K, which had a cruising speed of 105 kilometers an hour and carried one pilot with two passengers.
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Qantas: Modest Beginnings
Founded on 16 November 1920, the 'Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited', which was very quickly abbreviated to QANTAS, had modest but determined beginnings. Between 1926 and 1928, Qantas built eight of its own fleet under license, and in 1928 it was a chartered Qantas aircraft that conducted the inaugural flight of the now famous Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia.
Qantas Empire Airways Expands
By 1934, Qantas had moved beyond the horizons of rural Queensland. A new phase began when it joined forces with Britain's Imperial Airways (the forerunner of British Airways), to create a new airline. Qantas Empire Airways Limited commenced operations in December 1934. By May 1935, QEA had extended its service from Darwin to Singapore, with Imperial Airways operating the legs from Singapore to the UK. The Sydney to Southampton route took nine days to complete, and continued profitably until Singapore fell to the Japanese in February 1942. Most of what remained of the QEA fleet was then taken over by the Australian government for war service.
Qantas - The War Years
Services resumed in 1943 with flights between Perth and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). This service connected with the BOAC (formerly Imperial Airways) service to London, keeping open that vital link between Australia and England. It is unfortunate that so brief a summary cannot do justice to the courage, skill and endurance of the flight crews who undertook this hazardous route.
Flying beyond the Indian Ocean and the Pacific
After World War II, QEA was nationalised. Soon after, the airline began services to Tokyo, Manila and Hong Kong. By 1952, QEA had leapt across the Indian Ocean, adding Johannesburg to its list of destinations. In early 1954, the network expanded across the Pacific to include Vancouver via Auckland, Nadi, Honolulu and San Francisco. In 1958 the loops connected, and Qantas Empire Airways became one of the few round-the-world airlines. The following year, QEA entered the jet age.
Qantas - The Spirit of Australia
By the end of the 1960's, air travel had become the industry that we recognise today. Â New aircraft could carry hundreds of passengers at a time, across routes that crisscrossed the globe. In 1967, QEA changed its name to Qantas Airways Limited, the name under which it has operated ever since. Along with its Kangaroo symbol, Qantas is one of Australia's leading brands, with a proud history of reliability, safety, engineering excellence and customer service.