Happy 100th Birthday to Australia’s flag carrier, Qantas. A very select few airlines have been flying for this long. Here are some Fun Facts about this legendary airline.
- The only airlines that have been flying longer than Qantas are KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Avianca (Colombia)
- It’s certainly an interesting name. What does it mean? QANTAS is the acronym for the original company name “Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service”.
- Darwin to Singapore was the first international Qantas flight in 1934
- Qantas began flying from Sydney to London in 1947, with stops in Darwin, Singapore, Calcutta, Karachi, Cairo, Castel Benito and Rome, before arriving in London. It took over four days and the price was about the same as a new car.
- In 1959 Qantas acquired it’s first jet airliner, which flew the route between Sydney and San Francisco
- Qantas is a founding member of the Oneworld Alliance
- The route between Dallas and Sydney is Qantas’ longest route. It is a 17 hour, 5 minute flight.
- The Perth – London route is the first non-stop flight between Australia and Europe and was inaugurated in 2018
There are many airlines flying to Australia and many reasons why Australia makes the perfect backdrop for your group travel program. The team at Destination Pacific will be delighted to work with you to create a truly special program Down Under.
Here is some more information about Qantas’ milestone 100th birthday.