Qantas
Qantas at a glance
Qantas is the flag carrier of Australia and the world's oldest continuously operating airline, founded in 1920 in outback Queensland. The group, including low-cost Jetstar, flies around 300 aircraft, with the mainline's roughly 130 serving a network built around Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Perth gateway to Europe.
Under CEO Vanessa Hudson the airline is executing its biggest fleet renewal ever: A321XLRs are replacing domestic 737s, and 12 specially configured A350-1000s arrive from 2027 for Project Sunrise, the 20-plus-hour nonstops from Sydney and Melbourne to London and New York, with London Heathrow confirmed as the first route.
Fleet
Qantas is renewing both ends of its fleet at once: A321XLRs replacing domestic 737s and A350-1000s arriving for Project Sunrise nonstops.
| Aircraft | Role | Fleet Size |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 737-800 | Domestic backbone | ~75 |
| Airbus A321XLR | Domestic renewal, deliveries since 2025 | ~28 arriving |
| Boeing 787-9 | International workhorse | ~14 |
| Airbus A380-800 | High-capacity trunk routes | 10 |
| Airbus A350-1000 | Project Sunrise ultra-long-haul, from 2027 | 12 ordered |
Hub & route network
Sydney is the flag carrier's home hub, with Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth alongside; Perth anchors the nonstop link to Europe, and the group's network of about 100 destinations doubles up domestically through low-cost sibling Jetstar.Alliance & partnerships
A oneworld founder, Qantas partners deeply with Emirates for Europe via Dubai, American Airlines across the Pacific and China Eastern in Asia.Group structure
Qantas Group spans the flag carrier, Jetstar's low-cost network across Australia and Asia, QantasLink regional flying and a loyalty business among the most profitable parts of the company.Full specifications
Latest Qantas coverage from AeroTime
Frequently asked questions
Qantas' plan for nonstop flights of 20+ hours from Australia's east coast to London and New York, flown by 12 Airbus A350-1000s configured with just 238 seats and a wellbeing zone, launching from 2027 with London first.
It is the oldest continuously operating airline, founded in 1920; only KLM's brand is older, and Qantas has flown without interruption since its founding.
oneworld, which it co-founded in 1999, alongside major partnerships with Emirates, American Airlines and China Eastern.