Qantas

:QF may also mean Quick firing in British artillery terminology.

History

Qantas was founded in Queensland on 16 November 1920; its parent company was called Queensland and Northern Territorial Aerial Services Limited. In an act of corporate rebranding, the company dropped the parent company name and instead replaced it with the popularized airline acronym. Qantas was nationalised in 1947 by the reigning Australian Labor Party, led by Prime Minister Ben Chifley, in the Parliament of Australia. As the government trended away from socialist policy over national services, in favor of capitalist policies that supported private ownership, Qantas was privatised in 1992 and was christened as Qantas Airways Limited.

Related Topics:
Queensland - 16 November - 1920 - Nationalised - 1947 - Australian Labor Party - Prime Minister - Ben Chifley - Parliament of Australia - Socialist - Capitalist - 1992

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In 1990 Qantas established Australia Asia Airlines in order to operate services to Taiwan. Several Boeing 747SP and 767 aircraft were transferred from Qantas service. The airline ceased operations in 1996.

Related Topics:
1990 - Australia Asia Airlines - Taiwan - Boeing 747SP - 767 - 1996

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Since the merger with Australian Airlines in 1993, it has flown an extensive schedule between all Australian capital cities, as well as many regional cities and towns. It also flies many international routes to and from Australia.

Related Topics:
Australian Airlines - 1993

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Qantas has a reputation for being an aggressive competitor in the Australian aviation market. Over the years, several domestic Australian airlines have gone out of business amid complaints of anti-competitive pricing by Qantas and exorbitant prices on the newly non-competed routes. After September 2001 and the collapse of Ansett Airlines, Qantas held a near-monopoly on the Australian domestic air travel market. Virgin Blue, a cut-price competitor, has eaten into this market share somewhat, and Qantas has responded by creating a new cut-price subsidiary airline Jetstar. Qantas hopes that this move will "crowd out" the cut-price segment of the market, allowing Qantas to remain the superdominant player in the Australian domestic aviation market and one of the few profitable full-service airlines in the world.

Related Topics:
September - 2001 - Ansett Airlines - Virgin Blue - Jetstar

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On 13 December 2004, the first flight of Jetstar Asia Airways took off from its Singapore hub to Hong Kong, marking Qantas' entry into the Asian cut-price market, and its intentions in battling key competitor Singapore Airlines on its home ground. Qantas is already the second-largest airline operating out of Singapore Changi Airport, while Singapore Airlines is the second-largest operator of international flights into and out of Australia.

Related Topics:
13 December - 2004 - Jetstar Asia Airways - Singapore - Hong Kong - Singapore Airlines - Singapore Changi Airport

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Qantas has attempted to expand into the New Zealand domestic air travel market, first with a shareholding in Air New Zealand, then by a franchise takeover of Ansett New Zealand. In 2003, Qantas attempted and failed to obtain regulatory approval to purchase a larger (but still minority) stake in Air New Zealand.

Related Topics:
New Zealand - Air New Zealand - Ansett New Zealand - 2003

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In 1993 British Airways bought a 25% share in the company for A$665m. In September 2004, British Airways disposed of its share in Qantas, expected to amount to A$1.1bn. BA's original 25% share had been diluted to 18.5% by the issue of more shares. By law, Qantas must be at least 51% Australian-owned, and the British Airways holding had brought foreign ownership to the maximum permissible. Commentators believe the sale, and resulting greater Australian ownership, will free up hurdles for Qantas to expand into Asia.

Related Topics:
British Airways - A$665m - September - 2004

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Qantas is responsible for some of the most successful marketing campaigns in Australian history, with many advertising campaigns featuring renditions by children's choirs of Peter Allen's I Still Call Australia Home, set to footage of breathtaking scenery.

Related Topics:
Peter Allen - I Still Call Australia Home

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