Qantas

Qantas, an acronym for Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited, is Australia's flag carrier and one of the world's oldest airlines still in operation, having been founded on November 16, 1920. Established in Winton, Queensland, by Hudson Fysh, Paul McGinness, and Fergus McMaster, it initially provided air taxi, joy flights, and government-subsidized airmail services, connecting remote communities. The airline was nationalised by the Australian government in 1947 and later privatised between 1993 and 1997. Popularly known as "The Flying Kangaroo," Qantas has adopted the official slogan "Spirit of Australia."

Qantas's main operational base and headquarters are located in the Sydney suburb of Mascot, adjacent to Sydney Airport, which serves as its primary hub. Other significant hubs include Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane, with focus cities like Adelaide, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, and Hobart. The airline operates an extensive route network, serving over 60 domestic destinations across Australia. Internationally, Qantas connects Australia to Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America, covering more than 98 destinations in 25 territories. Its regional subsidiary, QantasLink, also provides services to numerous regional centers within Australia and some short-haul international flights.

As a founding member of the Oneworld airline alliance, Qantas offers travelers an expanded global network and various reciprocal benefits. The Qantas mainline passenger fleet, as of November 2025, consists of 131 aircraft, featuring a mix of narrow-body and wide-body jets. This includes Boeing 737-800s for domestic and short-haul international routes, Airbus A330s (A330-200s and A330-300s) for medium-haul international and domestic services, Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners for long-haul efficiency, and Airbus A380-800s for high-capacity premium international flights. The airline is also introducing Airbus A321XLRs for extended-range narrow-body operations and has significant orders for new Airbus A220, A320neo, A321neo, A350, and Boeing 787 aircraft to modernize its fleet over the coming decade. On international flights, Qantas offers four distinct cabin classes: First, International Business, International Premium Economy, and International Economy. For domestic travel, passengers can choose between Domestic Business and Domestic Economy classes.