QANTAS

The Qantas story is inextricably linked with the development of civil aviation in Australia. It begins with fragile biplanes carrying one or two passengers in open cockpits and progresses to advanced Boeing 747s flying some 400 people half way around the world in a day. But it is a story of human endeavour, not just machines. A few determined individuals overcame formidable obstacles to establish the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Ltd. (QANTAS). Supported by committed staff and loyal customers, the airline persevered through war and peace to serve the nation and build an enterprise. The Qantas story is about the people who have created its exciting and productive history - its staff, its customers and the excellence of its business partners and key suppliers. Qantas operates an average of 450 domestic flights a day and around 540 international flights every week, serving more than 120 destinations in 35 countries. The company's main business is the transportation of passengers and air freight. In addition to the core airline, Qantas subsidiaries operate in specialist markets including regional airlines Eastern Australia Airlines, Southern Australia Airlines, Sunstate and Airlink, as well as inflight catering, holiday and travel operations and information technology. Qantas operates a fleet of 145 aircraft (104 in the core fleet and a further 41 flown by the four regional subsidiary airlines) and carries more than 19 million passengers a year. It operates the largest Australia-based airline loyalty program, with more than two million members, and caters for many other customer groups including freight customers, travel agents and wholesalers. Qantas employs some 30,000 staff in more than 30 countries speaking more than 50 languages,the majority of whom are involved in delivering service to customers.

Boeing 747-400 (VH-OJA)