My family and I are here in Longreach to celebrate Qantas's 100th Birthday. I will be posting photos of this celebration later this afternoon, but in the meantime below is the Qantas story.
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THE SPIRIT OF AUSTRALIA (Company Slogan)
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| QANTAS A380-861 VH-OQL (CN 0074) |
Qantas Airways Limited, the second oldest airline in the world after KLM (7th Oct 1919) celebrate their 100th birthday today having been founded on the 16th November 1920. Qantas is the flag carrier of Australia and its largest airline in Australia by fleet size, international flights and international destinations. It began international passenger flights in May 1935. The Qantas name stands for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services", and is nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo". The airline is based in the Sydney suburb of Mascot with its main hub at Sydney Airport. Various subsidiary airlines operate to regional centres and on some trunk routes within Australia under the QantasLink banner. Qantas also owns "Jetstar Airways", a low-cost airline that operates both international services and domestic services and operates in Australia and New Zealand. Fergus McMaster was a wealthy grazier who took little convincing about the benefits of aviation. He was crossing the sandy bed of Queensland's Cloncurry River when his car broke an axle. Paul McGinness helped repair the vehicle and the two struck up a friendship. Back in Brisbane, McGinness and Fysh outlined to McMaster their plans for an air service, beginning with joy rides and air taxi trips. McMaster, fired with enthusiasm, convinced business acquaintances to invest with them. With their former flight sergeant Arthur Baird as aircraft mechanic, Fysh and McGinness travelled to Mascot Aerodrome, Sydney, where they ordered two Avro aircraft. The purchase agreement, dated 19 August 1920, was in the name of The Western Queensland Auto Aero Service Limited. A new company name was later adopted, Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited, which was quickly abbreviated to the acronym 'QANTAS'. Papers formally establishing Qantas were signed in the Gresham Hotel, Brisbane, on 16 November 1920. The company, based in Winton, was registered with Fergus McMaster as Chairman. In 1921 the Qantas fleet consisted of two biplanes - an Avro 504K with a 100 horsepower (74 kw) water-cooled Sunbeam Dyak engine and a Royal Aircraft Factory BE2E with a 90 horsepower (67 kw) air-cooled engine. The BE2E was purchased for £450 ($900) from Charles Knight, a Longreach stock and station agent who, having experienced a turbulent delivery trip, swore nothing would induce him to fly again. Today QANTAS fleet consists of 129 aircraft.
Current Aircraft
Airbus A330
Airbus A330-200 18 (1 in service 17 parked up)
Airbus A330-300 10 (all 10 in service)
28
Airbus A380
Airbus A380-842 12 (all parked up)
Boeing 737
Boeing 737-800 75 (44 in service 31 parked up)
Boeing 787
Boeing 787-9 14 (2 in service 12 parked up)
Total 129
Qantas has 14 Boeing 787-9's, their first one, VH-ZNA was delivered on the 20th October 2017. On the 12th November 2020 Qantas took delivery of their last 787-9 VH-ZNN but went straight to Victorville to join the other 787's and their A380's. All 14 have now been delivered, the 10th 787-9 (VH-ZNJ) arrived in Sydney after operating the 2nd Project Sunrise flight from London to Sydney nonstop. This flight took 19hrs 19 mins. The first Project Sunrise research flight operated between New York and Sydney on the 18th October and took 19 Hrs 16 Mins. A third research flight, repeating the New York-Sydney route, will take place in December using their next and final 787-9 VH-ZNK.
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| QANTAS B787-9 VH-ZNJ (CN 66074) Photo taken by PRESTON FIEDLER |
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| QANTAS B787-9 VH-ZND (CN 63390) |
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| QANTAS B737-838 VH-VYD (CN 33992) |
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QANTAS A330-303 VH-QPJ (CN 712) |
Qantas is also a member of the "One World" Alliance
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Over the years several Qantas aircraft have been decorated with sporting liveries;
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BOEING 747-48E VH-OEB (CN 25778) AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2011 |
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BOEING 747-438 VH-OEJ (CN 32914) PROUDLY SUPPORTING THE SOCCEROOS |
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BOEING 747-438 VH-OJO (CN 25544) GO WALLABIES |
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BOEING 747-438 VH-OJS (CN 25564) QANTAS SOCCEROOS; WERE WITH YOU ALL THE WAY |
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AIRBUS A380-842 VH-OQH (CN 0050) GO WALLABIES |
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BOEING 737-838 VH-VXG (CN 30901) BRING IT ON (WALLABIES V LIONS) |
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BOEING 737-838 VH-VXA (CN 29551) NOW IT'S ON OUR TURF!! (CRICKET) |
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BOEING 737-838 ZK-ZQF (CN 34204) THE JOURNEY HAS JUST STARTED (RUGBY IN NZ) |
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BOEING 767-336 VH-ZXB (CN 24338) SOCCEROOS |
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| BOEING 747-438 VH-OJU (CN 25566) |
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| AIRBUS A330-202 VH-EBV (CN 1365) |
Retro Liveries;
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| BOEING 737-838 VH-XZP (CN 44577) |
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| BOEING 737-838 VH-VXQ (CN 33723) |
Aboriginal themes;
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BOEING 747-438 VH-OEJ (CN 32914) WUNALA DREAMING |
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BOEING 737-838 VH-VXB (CN 30101) YANANYI DREAMING |
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BOEING 737-838 VH-XZJ (CN 39365) MENDOOWOORRJI |
Promoting Prostate Cancer
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QANTAS BOEING 737-838 (CN 34191) PROSTATE CANCER FOUNDATION OF AUSTRALIA |
and even ones with names from regular everyday Australians.
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| AIRBUS A380-842 VH-OQK (CN 0063) |
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