QANTAS, increasing its presence in RI
QANTAS, increasing its presence in RI
QANTAS is an Australian icon. The name and the flying kangaroo symbol are widely recognized throughout the world. The QANTAS brand represents many things to the company's customers, stakeholders and the public. It encompasses a proud history, a focus on customer service and engineering excellence and an enviable modern-day safety record.
Qantas celebrated its 75th anniversary during 1995. The company was established by private investors at Winton, Queensland, and registered in Brisbane on Nov. 16, 1920. QANTAS takes its name from the original registered title: Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited.
From humble beginnings, QANTAS has grown into a major international domestic airline. International Air Transport Association comparisons for the 1994 calendar year (issued in mid-1995) show that QANTAS is the world's 11th largest airline and the second largest in the Asia-Pacific region in terms of revenue passenger kilometers.
As of September 1995, the QANTAS jet fleet consists of 92 Boeing and Airbus aircraft. A further 45 aircraft are operated by four regional subsidiaries. These aircraft carry over 16 million passengers a year and serve 92 destinations; 52 in Australia and 40 in 25 countries around the world. It employs approximately 29,000 people worldwide.
QANTAS in Asia
QANTAS celebrated its 75th year with one of the world's youngest jet fleets and a network of services linking Australia and Asia. The airline began flying to Singapore more than 60 years ago and rapidly expanded services to Asia after World War II.
Services have developed into a comprehensive network linking Australia with 11 countries in North Asia and Southeast Asia. Operating more than 140 flights a week, QANTAS has direct services between seven Australian cities and 16 cities in the region. It operates a network of intra-Asian flights which connect with QANTAS services to Australia and to Europe.
The Asia-Pacific region -- made up of western Pacific rim nations which include Japan, China and other North Asian and Southeast Asian countries -- is recognized as the world's fastest growing market in economic, business and travel terms, particularly the newly industrialized economies.
QANTAS flies to China (Beijing), Hong Kong, Indonesia (Jakarta and Denpasar), Japan (Nagoya, Osaka, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Tokyo), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), the Republic of Korea (Seoul), Singapore, Taiwan (Taipei, served by Australia-Asia Airlines), Thailand, the Philippines (Manila) and Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City). From July 2, QANTAS flies twice a week to Mumbai (Bombay). Flights from Sydney to Shanghai will start in the very near future.
In Indonesia, QANTAS began services to Jakarta in April 1950 and operated its first flight to Denpasar, on the island of Bali, in August 1969. Today, Indonesia is an important business and tourist destination for Australians, while inbound visitor growth from Indonesia is increasing rapidly.
QANTAS operates 21 services a week from Australia to Indonesia, including daily nonstop Sydney-Jakarta services. QANTAS operates five return services a week between Jakarta- Singapore and three a week between Denpasar-Singapore.
On July 31, 1996, in Sydney, QANTAS received approval from the International Air Services Commission to significantly increase services between Australia and Indonesia.
From November 1996, the airline will increase capacity and introduce new routes between major Australian cities and Jakarta and Denpasar. This will increase the number of nonstop QANTAS services from 21 each week to 25 each week.
From Nov. 16, QANTAS will introduce nonstop services between Brisbane and Jakarta, operating every Wednesday and Saturday.
The airline will also introduce twice-weekly nonstop flights between Melbourne and Jakarta from Nov. 17, operating every Tuesday and Sunday.
Capacity will be enhanced by more than 23 percent on services to Denpasar through the use of larger aircraft on some flights.
QANTAS General Manager Indonesia Peter Collins said that the approvals paved the way for the airline to address the growing market between Australia and Indonesia.
"The strengthening relationship between our countries has created a substantial increase in business and leisure travelers," Collins said.
In 1995, 135,000 Indonesians visited Australia, a 27.7 percent increase over the previous year. The Australian Tourist Commission expects about 140,000 Indonesians to visit Australia this year, rising to more than 300,000 by the year 2000.
"In 1993, approximately 300,000 Australians visited Indonesia. With the expanded new services, this figure is expected to reach 500,000 this year," Collins said.
"The 25 nonstop services operated each week to Jakarta and Denpasar offer travelers the convenience of more flights from Australian cities than any other carrier," he added.
Better services
QANTAS relaunched its products and services in August, 1994. Called A World of Change, the program unveiled the most comprehensive range of enhancements since the airline introduced Boeing 747s into service two decades earlier. Changes being introduced progressively include new aircraft cabin interiors featuring increased comfort and new and upgraded airport lounges.
The airline introduced fresher and more innovative meals, an improved Frequent Flyer program and new customer contact uniforms. An advertising campaign based on the late Peter Allen's hit ballad I Still Call Australia Home and featuring some of Australia's most talented singers and musicians was launched throughout Australia.
To help publicize the relaunch, a Boeing 747-400 was painted in a spectacular Aboriginal design depicting the story of journeys by spirit ancestors, in the form of kangaroos, across the Australian landscape. The aircraft, name Wunala Dreaming, gained worldwide media coverage when it made the QANTAS inaugural flight to Osaka, Japan, in September 1994, and to Beijing, China, in March 1995. Wunala Dreaming operates scheduled services in the QANTAS international network.
Safety
QANTAS operates one of the largest aircraft engineering maintenance facilities in the Asia-Pacific region. Main operations are at Kingsford-Smith Airport in Sydney and Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne. Maintenance is carried out on airframes, engines and avionics for the core QANTAS fleet as well as for domestic and foreign clients. QANTAS has operated and maintained over 50 different types of aircraft, from two-seater biplanes to today's Boeing 747-400s.
Australia's remoteness from the main aviation centers of Europe and North America required QANTAS to be self-reliant from the start. The company's first engineer, Arthur Baird, had a saying that "near enough is not good enough" and his sentiment is embodied in the company's dedication to excellence to this day.