Qantas is the oldest continuously operating airline in the world. Qantas founders were World War One airmen who recognised that only aviation could bridge the tyranny of distance that so defined life in the vast, open spaces of our continent. They had a vision for a national airline that connected Australia with the world. But they had to start small.

In 1921, they began barnstorming across the outback in a rickety bi-plane. The first medical evacuation was recorded in 1921, and the first scheduled passenger flight came soon after. In 1926, when the first Qantas engineer began work on a new fleet, Qantas became the only airline in the world to build, fly and maintain its own aircraft.

Qantas had spread its wings overseas by the 1930s – partnering with the forerunner to British Airways to operate the world’s first ‘codeshare’ flight between Sydney and London via

Qantas Boeing 707Qantas’ first hangar in Longreach, Queensland

Singapore. In 1938, Qantas began operating flying boats on this route, taking off from Sydney’s first international airport on the city’s famous harbour.

The airline was called to national service during the Second World War, carrying troops and dropping supplies from the tree-tops in New Guinea. When Singapore fell, Qantas operated record 30-hour flights over the Indian Ocean to maintain an air link with Britain. Pilots navigated by the stars in total radio silence, and passengers watched the sun rise twice.

After the war, Qantas officially became Australia’s national airline. In 1959, it operated the first-ever passenger jet services to England and the US on board the Boeing 707. By 1979, it was the only airline with a fleet that consisted entirely of Boeing 747s. And in the years between, tens of thousands of post-war migrants caught their first glimpses of their new homeland on board the flying kangaroo.

Qantas changed long-haul flying with each new decade. In the 1970s, it invented business class. In the 1980s, it introduced a Frequent Flyer program. In the 2000s, it launched Jetstar, which has cut the cost of flying for everyone. And last year, Qantas connected Australia and Europe with a non-stop flight for the first time ever, flying from Perth to London onboard the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

The story of Qantas is the story of modern Australia. For almost 100 years, through times of war and peace, national celebration and national service, it has embodied the spirit of Australia and its people. It is that spirit – along with the wisdom of experience, a reputation for safety, and a track record of innovation – that guides Qantas into its second century.

The Qantas story – 1920 to today