Airline Identity
History
Qantas was founded in November 1920 in Winton, Queensland, as Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services, making it one of the world's oldest continuously operating airlines. It pioneered long-distance flying across Australia and later around the world, was fully government-owned for decades, and was privatised in 1995. Qantas co-founded the oneworld alliance in 1998 together with American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines and Cathay Pacific.
Current Operations
Qantas operates an extensive domestic Australian network alongside long-haul international routes to Asia, the Americas, Europe, Africa and Antarctica, from hubs in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Its group includes low-cost carrier Jetstar and regional operator QantasLink, and it has been pursuing Project Sunrise, aimed at ultra-long-haul non-stop flights between Australia and cities such as London and New York using new Airbus A350 aircraft. Qantas is publicly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, with foreign ownership limits set by Australian law.
Last verified 2026-08-22· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.