Qantas to sell its shareholding in Helloworld Travel Limited

Qantas has agreed to sell its 12.4 per cent shareholding in Helloworld Travel Limited for approximately $33 million as it sharpens its focus on post-COVID recovery.

The national carrier has held a stake in the travel agency network since 2008, when it was spun off from a merger of Qantas Holidays and Jetset Travel. Qantas’ shareholding in Helloworld has steadily reduced over that time through various transactions and as Helloworld’s own structure has evolved.

The share sale was at a price of $1.72 per share. The transaction will be recognised in Qantas’ FY23 accounts.

Qantas Group Chief Financial Officer, Vanessa Hudson, said: “Our stake in Helloworld has reduced over several years and now is the right time for us to exit as shareholders.

“We’ve announced some major investments this year as we focus on what is core to the Group going forward, including fleet renewal, growing our network and a successful expansion into the e-commerce holiday booking space with TripADeal.

“We’ll continue to have a very strong relationship with Helloworld as a trade partner, and travel agencies in general remain an important pillar of how millions of trips are booked every year,” Ms Hudson added.

The divestment of Helloworld follows Qantas’ sale of almost 14 hectares of industrial land near its Mascot headquarters in Sydney for $802 million in late 2021.

Qantas and Bangkok Airways frequent flyer tie up set to boost travel

Qantas Frequent Flyers can now book Classic Flight Reward seats to more than 20 destinations across Thailand and South East Asia as a new partnership with Bangkok Airways launched this week.

Bangkok Airways joins Qantas Frequent Flyer’s more than 45 existing partner airlines, which allow members to use their points to travel to more than 1,200 destinations around the world.

Travellers can access Bangkok Airways flights from Australia via Bangkok, Phuket and Singapore. The Qantas Group operates more than 50 return flights each week between these cities and Australia.

Bangkok Airways is a full-service carrier, with regular flights each day out of its hub in Bangkok to some of Asia’s most popular destinations, including Koh Samui and Chiang Mai in Thailand and Siem Reap in Cambodia.

The partnership expands on a codeshare agreement that was introduced in 2014 allowing Qantas customers to book commercial seats on Bangkok Airways flights.

Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth said Qantas Frequent Flyer was excited to welcome Bangkok Airways to the program. "We want our members to be able to use their Qantas Points on reward seats to as many destinations as possible and our portfolio of partner airlines means they can choose from hundreds of locations across the globe.

Qantas celebrates a centenary of working with Australia Post

Pilot Paul McGinness (right) and mechanic Jack Hazlett with passenger Ivy McLain who flew on the
first flight from Cloncurry in 1922. Photo Qantas

One hundred years after the first customer and bag of letters winged its way across the Queensland outback, Qantas and Australia Post will today follow the flightpath to recreate the historic airmail and passenger service from 1922.

To mark the historic occasion, family members of Qantas founders, top tier frequent flyers and guests with a connection to the early Queensland airmail services will travel on board QF6661 for celebratory events with the local communities who played a key role in the launch of the airline that is now the national carrier.

Qantas founders inaugurated the airline as a company in November 1920 and spent two years preparing for scheduled services by flying joyriders, raising funds, sourcing aircraft and planning the first air route.

Operated by a Bombardier Q400 turboprop, the centenary flight will follow the 882 kilometre route taken by Qantas co-founders and pilots Paul McGinness from Charleville to Longreach and by Hudson Fysh from Longreach to Cloncurry in an open cockpit FK8 biplane over two days on 2-3 November 1922.

A replica mailbag will fly 106 handwritten letters from schoolchildren in Charleville to kids in Longreach and Cloncurry.

Qantas market update predicts profits of up to $1.3 billion....

Group expects 1H23 Underlying Profit Before Tax of between $1.2 billion and $1.3 billion.

Operational performance continues to improve; Qantas back at or around pre-COVID service levels in first half of October.

Further $200 million investment in continued operational resilience against sick leave spikes, supply chain delays.

Accelerated financial recovery enables improvement to wages policy at total cost of approximately $40 million p.a.

Translates to additional pay increase for around 20,000 employees on top of $10,000 in bonuses and improvement to staff travel benefits.

Over 1 million domestic sale fares released this week by Qantas and Jetstar.

Photo Qantas

Strong travel demand is accelerating the Qantas Group’s recovery from the COVID crisis, enabling the national carrier to keep investing for customers and its people while also strengthening its balance sheet.

Based on forward bookings, current fuel prices and latest assumptions about the second quarter, the Group expects Underlying Profit Before Tax of between $1.2 billion and $1.3 billion for the first half of FY23. This follows five consecutive halves of heavy losses due to the pandemic and cumulative statutory losses of $7 billion.

Net debt is expected to fall to between $3.2 billion and 3.4 billion at 31 December 2022, which is below the bottom of the target range of $3.9 billion.

Domestic travel demand remains strong across all categories. Revenue intakes for business purposes are over 100 per cent of pre-COVID levels and leisure intakes have further strengthened to over 130 per cent.

Yields from international markets are particularly strong but are expected to moderate as Qantas and other carriers steadily increase capacity.

Qantas Loyalty expects to post record earnings for the first half and is on track to reach its FY23 EBIT target of $425–$450 million.

The broader operating environment remains complex with high fuel prices and high inflation, as well as higher interest rates impacting on consumer confidence. However, robust demand indicates that people are prioritising spending on travel above other categories, which supports the Group’s ability to fully recover higher fuel costs through fares. Fuel prices are now around 75 per cent higher than pre-COVID, compared with around 60 per cent in August 2022.

Qantas to start Melbourne - Exmouth service......

Photo Qantas

Qantas is to operate a new direct route between Melbourne and Exmouth from April next year, which will cut some 3 hours off current journey times. 

Qantas will operate two return services each week from 30 April until 26 October 2023. The new route will be operated by Boeing 737 aircraft, with more than 18,000 seats available across the season. Exmouth was named Australia’s top small tourism town at the recent 2022 Australian Tourism Awards held at Parliament House earlier this month.

Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David said: “Australian’s have spent the last few years exploring their own backyard more than ever before, and this new route responds to that increased demand, providing our customers with a direct route to one of Australia’s most remote and spectacular destinations. Home to Ningaloo and the Cape Range National Park, the Coral Coast is an unforgettable holiday and now we’ll be able to fly Victorians there direct, cutting the journey length, opening up more time to swim with the whale sharks. These flights and discount fares are the perfect excuse for Victorians to escape the winter blues for North West’s Western warmth and laid-back lifestyle during the whale watching season. They’re also great news for tourism operators in the Exmouth region and we’ll work closely with the Western Australian Government to promote the new flights and all that the region has to offer.”

Photo Qantas

Australian wines and Qantas

400 bottles of wine. That’s how many Qantas Neil Perry Sommeliers tasted as part of the airline’s annual blind tasting program to select the national carrier’s extensive onboard and in-lounge wine list.

Qantas customers consume millions of bottles of wine every year with the airline one of the largest purchasers of Australian wine.

For the first time this year, the sommeliers also tasted non-alcoholic spirits and sparkling wines, to cater for an increasing number of customers who may be abstaining from alcohol but still wish to enjoy a glass of bubbles or a ‘mixed drink’ as part of their travels.

Master Sommelier Sebastian Crowther says while they use a traditional tasting methodology, an additional consideration when selecting onboard wines is how they will translate to form a part of the inflight dining experience.

“We taste such a diverse array of wines from all across the country and the philosophy is simple when it comes to selection, if it tastes great on the ground, then it will taste great in the air.

“We are seeing a trend all over the country for lighter and fresher styles, so in response to that, we are exploring newer and ‘cooler’ regions to include alongside the traditional regions of Australia.”

Qantas to improve vegetarian meal and snack options on domestic flights.....

Following a passenger backlash in recent weeks, the Australian carrier Qantas will up its game and provide vegetarian meals and snacks on all domestic services.

In the coming weeks, Qantas will carry vegetarian meals on all domestic flights under 3.5 hours. As an example, for evening meal service a zucchini and corn fritter could be carried onboard in addition to a Chicken and Leek pie. The airline also plans to reintroduce fresh fruit on board, which was paused during the pandemic and the airline says because of a lot of wastage. Qantas said it will now "monitor the take-up of these options and make any further adjustments to make sure we reflect customer preferences."

Qantas says it already offers a range of dietary meal options in all cabins on all International flights, domestic Business, and on domestic Economy cabins on flights more than 3.5 hours.

Qantas is the only domestic airline to offer complimentary food and beverages, baggage, and onboard WiFi on its domestic Boeing 737s and Airbus A330s, on all Economy fares.

The Qantas Group has named Stephanie Tully as the new Chief Executive Officer of Jetstar.

Stephanie Tully as the new Chief Executive Officer of Jetstar,  Photo Qantas Group

The Australian Qantas Group has named Stephanie Tully as the new Chief Executive Officer of Jetstar, to take over from the departing CEO, Gareth Evans, who will leave at the end of 2022.

Ms Tully joined the national carrier in 2004 and has worked across operational, commercial, marketing and customer loyalty functions in progressively more senior roles. She has been a Group Executive and Chief Customer Officer since 2019.

As a result of this appointment, Markus Svensson will be promoted to the Chief Customer Officer role and become a member of the Group Executive Committee reporting to the Group CEO.

Mr Svensson is currently the Executive Manager of Network, Revenue Management and Alliances, responsible for overseeing a large part of the commercial strategy for Qantas International and Qantas Domestic. He was previously Regional General Manager for Qantas in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. Before joining Qantas in 2011, Mr Svensson held senior roles at Bain and Co and in telecommunications in Australia, Sweden and Korea.

Stephanie and Markus will begin transitioning to their new roles shortly with detailed handovers made possible by the internal succession, ahead of a formal handover in November.

Announcing the changes, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said: “These appointments come at an important time for us. The team is working incredibly hard to overcome challenges facing the whole industry as it gets back on its feet, and the data shows we’re almost there.

“Managing this kind of executive renewal internally means we keep our momentum and can leverage a huge amount of corporate knowledge, including through the transition.

“Stephanie has worked across several different parts of the airline, from crewing to marketing, and has a deep understanding of customer experience. She’s an outstanding leader and she’ll be leading a very experienced senior team at Jetstar to keep building on the strengths of that business.

“Markus has navigated incredible levels of complexity in recent years, managing most of the commercial elements of the Qantas network through several waves of lockdown and recovery, and also managing our relationships with alliance partners around the world. His knowledge of airlines means he understands the many elements that have to work to deliver exceptional customer service, which is a key focus for us.

“Gareth has been a superb member of the Qantas Group Executive team for many years. We’re pleased to have his knowledge and experience in the months ahead to help with this transition and key projects in our recovery.”

September performance improvements for Australian airline Qantas

Photo Qantas

Qantas’s operational performance has continued to improve towards pre-COVID levels, with flight delays, cancellations and mishandled bag rates all falling in the first two weeks of September.

On time performance has improved from 52 per cent of flights on time in July, to 67 per cent in August and 71 per cent from 1-14 September.

Flight cancellations also reduced to just 2 per cent during the month so far, down from 7.5 per cent in June and 4 per cent in August. The current figure is below pre-COVID levels.

Mishandled bags are at 6 per 1000 passengers overall and at 5 per 1000 for domestic – which is at pre-COVID levels. There has been an increase in the average number of bags being checked in per passenger compared to pre-COVID, reflecting the strong rebound in leisure travel.

Performance will be tested in coming weeks with school holidays, long weekends and football finals driving high levels of demand at peak times. Customers are encouraged to arrive at the airport at least 90 minutes ahead of the scheduled departure time for domestic flights and three hours ahead for international flights.

With baggage services normalising, customers are encouraged to check-in bags to stay within their carry-on baggage allowances and avoid boarding delays that can be caused by overhead baggage Tetris, despite our crew’s skill in this area.

Key statistics 1-14 September:

• 2 per cent of flights were cancelled across Qantas and QantasLink. This is compared to 4 per cent in August, and down from 7.5 per cent in June 2022. This is slightly lower than it was before COVID, when we cancelled 2.4 per cent of flights. Cancellations are often due to crew availability or aircraft serviceability, with safety always coming before schedule.
• 71 per cent of our flights left on time, up almost 40 per cent in two months (the rate was 52 per cent in July). Weather and air traffic control issues can often impact on time performance, with strong winds leading to a slowdown in aircraft landing rates.
• The rate of mishandled bags was 6 in 1000 overall and 5 in 1000 for domestic. This is down from 12 in 1000 in April 2022.

This continued improvement is driven by several factors, including:

Qantas and Jetstar predicting busy weekend....

Qantas and Jetstar are preparing to fly almost 450,000 customers domestically and internationally this weekend as school holidays start in Victoria and Queensland and footy fans travel interstate for the finals.

The bumper long weekend of travel will see 3700 flights take off across both airlines, with high load factors across the network.

More flights have been added and bigger aircraft have been scheduled between Melbourne and Sydney this weekend for the footy finals. Fans have snapped up cheaper fares, with only higher, last-minute fares still available.

Both Qantas and Jetstar have continued to put in place measures to improve their operations and are working with airports and suppliers to minimise delays and disruptions for customers through what is an extremely busy time.

Qantas has seen a significant improvement in its operational performance, with flight delays, cancellations and mishandled bags all reduced. In August, on-time performance was 67 per cent with 4 per cent of flights cancelled, compared to 52 per cent and 6 per cent in July. This has continued to improve during September.

Qantas launches new route from Sydney to Bengaluru

Photo Qantas 

Qantas has launched a new route from Sydney to Bengaluru this week, establishing the first direct connection between Australia and Southern India by any airline.

QF67 will cut nearly three hours off the current fastest travel time between the two cities and significantly boost connectivity between India and New South Wales in time for the upcoming school holidays.

Since the announcement of the new service earlier this year, the route has seen strong demand, with both the outbound and inbound inaugural flights sold out in all cabins.

Widely regarded as India’s Silicon Valley, many Australian and global financial technology organisations have established major operations in Bengaluru. The new flights will offer corporate and leisure travellers a non-stop flight to the city, with connections to other destinations beyond Bengaluru.

It will also provide new tourism opportunities for Sydney and New South Wales, with a direct gateway for India based visitors.

Qantas Domestic and International CEO Andrew David said the flights will boost tourism and economic relations and open opportunities between Australia and India.

“The addition of Bengaluru to our route map deepens our ties with India and follows the launch of direct services from Australia to Delhi last year which have also proven popular. Qantas is now the only airline offering direct flights between Australia’s two largest cities and the north and south of India.”

Photo Qantas 

More losses at Qantas

The Qantas Group has posted its third consecutive Statutory Loss Before Tax of more than $1 billion, reflecting the Delta and Omicron impacts as well as upfront costs from restarting the airline as lockdowns finally ended.

For the full 2022 financial year, the Group experienced an Underlying Loss Before Tax of $(1.86) billion and a Statutory Loss Before Tax of $(1.19) billion. The difference between these two measures largely reflects the $686 million net gain on sale of surplus land, which helped reduce COVID-related debt.

While the first three quarters of the year were defined by border closures and waves of uncertainty caused by COVID variants, the fourth quarter saw the highest sustained levels of travel demand since the start of the pandemic. Overall, the Group’s flying levels for the year averaged at 33 per cent of pre-pandemic levels but finished at 68 per cent.

Group Domestic operations were profitable at the Underlying EBIT level in 4Q22, while Qantas Freight posted another record annual performance and Qantas Loyalty accelerated its earnings growth to double digits in the second half.

The reopening of borders saw a huge increase in forward travel demand, which when combined with the Group’s recovery plan, has resulted in a significant improvement to the balance sheet. Net debt has fallen from a high of more than $6.4 billion to $3.9 billion at the end of FY22, putting it below the optimal target range of $4.2 billion to $5.2 billion.

With the existential crisis posed by the pandemic now over, the Group is focused on responding to current operational challenges. Key customer measures for Qantas including contact centre wait times, cancellation rates and mishandled bag rates are trending back towards pre-COVID standards during August 2022.

There has been a significant improvement in on-time performance, which lifted from 52 per cent in July to 66 per cent for August (to date). This is expected to reach 75 per cent in September and around 80 per cent in October 2022, pending external factors such as extreme weather.

Qantas to restart flights to New York, with a new service from Australia to the Big Apple via Auckland from 14 June next year.

Sydney-Auckland-New York route set for take-off in June 2023.

Seamless connections between Australia and New York via New Zealand.

New lounges in Auckland, Adelaide, Rockhampton and Port Hedland.

Two Sydney-Auckland-New York Points Planes in the first week of flying.

Qantas will recommence flights to New York, with a new service from Australia to the Big Apple via Auckland from 14 June next year*.

The launch of QF3 and QF4 will see the flying kangaroo return to New York three days a week initially, after a three-year COVID-induced hiatus. Flights will be operated by its Boeing 787 Dreamliners, with three new aircraft scheduled for delivery next year.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said flying via Auckland would provide better connectivity from more destinations in Australia, before an uninterrupted 16 hour flight to New York.

“We’re back flying to most of our pre-COVID destinations, which is a fantastic achievement by our teams and so important for Australians reconnecting with the rest of the world.

“We can’t wait to return to New York and it’s made possible by the delivery of new aircraft, which have been caught up in delays that have impacted lots of airlines.

“Customer feedback on our direct London and Rome services show how well suited our Dreamliner cabins are to longer international flights like these, which is helped by the fact we designed them with more room and fewer seats than most of our competitors.

“We think this route will be very popular with Australians given the opportunity to connect via Auckland and it also gives New Zealanders more choice.”

Sydney-Auckland-New York flights are on sale from today. Qantas currently operates six daily services to Auckland from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne which will increase to 11 daily services when the new flight to New York launches.

Qantas will fly two Points Planes in the first week, with all seats across every cabin available as a Classic Reward flight on QF3 and QF4 on 16 June. Points Plane connections will also be available for Frequent Flyers based in Brisbane and Melbourne to use Classic Rewards for their trans-Tasman flights.

Lounge upgrades.....   

The airline will upgrade its lounge network, with a multi-million dollar investment to build new lounges in Adelaide, Auckland, Port Hedland and Rockhampton.

“We know how much our customers value being able to relax before their flight, whether they’re flying from a major regional port or an international hub,” said Mr Joyce.

“Our new Auckland International lounge will be a step change in comfort. It will offer a lot more space and, like all of our offshore lounges, feature the best of local design, food and wine.”

Qantas is reaching out to millions of its customers to say sorry

Qantas is reaching out to millions of its customers to formally apologise for recent operational challenges and thank them for their patience as the national carrier works to get back to its best after COVID.

The airline is rolling out a range of initiatives to improve mishandled bags and on time performance as it also deals with high levels of sick leave (due to flu, COVID and isolation requirements) as well as an industry-wide labour shortage.

Qantas has hired 1,500 new people since April with more to come, adjusted flight schedules and invested $15 million in new technology at key airports to help smooth the travel experience.

Speaking directly to Frequent Flyers via an email and video message being sent on Monday, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce acknowledged while it was great to see people back on-board after so long on the ground, the return to flying hasn’t all gone smoothly.

“Over the past few months, too many of you have had flights delayed, flights cancelled and bags misplaced. There are good reasons why, but when it comes to what you expect from Qantas, it’s not good enough.

Acquisition of Alliance would not lessen competition says Qantas

This week Australia's leading airline Qantas issued a statement that reaffirmed its view that its acquisition of Alliance Aviation Services Ltd would not lessen competition in Australia’s highly competitive charter segment.

Qantas currently owns just under 20 per cent of Alliance and is its biggest customer, wet leasing up to 18 Embraer aircraft that Alliance operates on the national carrier’s behalf on a number of routes.

In May, Qantas announced it had reached an agreement to fully acquire Alliance, enabling it to better serve the growing resources sector with a combined fleet. That agreement includes a condition for competition clearance.

Alliance represents around two per cent of the total Australian aviation industry and supplies about 30 per cent of the charter services, with the remainder split between Qantas (around 23 per cent), Virgin Australia (around 22 per cent) and a number of other operators.

Qantas has met with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and provided a detailed submission on the competitive nature of the charter services.

Since Qantas announced its planned acquisition of Alliance, Rex announced its acquisition of charter operator National Jet Express from Cobham Aviation, receiving ACCC clearance 11 days later, and Virgin Australia has been clear about its acquisition of new aircraft to expand its own resources flying. Several other airlines and aviation businesses also service the charter sector.

Australia's Qantas is expanding its South Pacific presence with the addition of Tonga to its network

Australia's leading international airline, Qantas is expanding its South Pacific presence with the addition of Tonga to its network and offering a new tropical destination for Australian travellers to explore.

Following the recent reopening of Tonga’s borders, Qantas will fly weekly between Sydney and Nuku’alofa’s Fua’amotu Airport. The four-and-a-half-hour flights will be the only direct services between Australia and Tonga.

Qantas has been operating services since December 2020, supported by the Australian Government’s Pacific Flights Program. These flights have maintained critical passenger and freight links while international borders were closed. From today, passengers can book a flight directly on qantas.com with services operating every Thursday to Tonga.

The inclusion of Tonga to the international network follows the recent commitment of weekly services to Samoa as Qantas grows its presence in the South Pacific Islands off the back of strong holiday travel demand.

Qantas will initially operate one flight a week with an Airbus A330 aircraft between Tonga and Sydney alongside the Samoa service.

"Since the opening of Australia’s border, we have seen strong demand across our Qantas-operated South Pacific services. In fact, Fiji is 50 per cent higher than pre-COVID demand, Noumea is 13 per cent higher and flights to Samoa are performing ahead of expectations." a Qantas spokesperson told us,  adding, "These flights will help Australian-based South Pacific Islanders visit family and friends back home, as well as providing travel hungry Australians a choice of Pacific neighbours to explore. We anticipate the Tonga services will be well-supported by both Tongan nationals and Australians and are excited to help strengthen family and community connections as well as boost tourism opportunities to this beautiful Pacific Island kingdom."

International flights are subject to government and regulatory approval.

Qantas Freight will increase its domestic fleet with six Airbus A321 aircraft to meet growing demand

Qantas Freight has announced that it will increase its domestic fleet with six Airbus A321 aircraft to meet growing e-commerce demand from its customers.

Since the onset of COVID-19, the national carrier’s freight division has seen a step change in cargo volumes driven partly by a structural shift to online shopping.

The six A321 freighters, which are expected to progressively arrive between early calendar year 2024 and mid-2026, will replace the long-term fleet of five Boeing 737 freighters that are approaching the end of their economic life.

Each A321 freighter can carry 23 tonnes of cargo, nine tonnes more than the older 737s, and are around 30 per cent more fuel efficient per tonne of freight carried.

The aircraft will be sourced on the open market and converted from carrying passengers to cargo, subject to commercial negotiations. Their model designation is A321P2F, which stands for ‘Passenger to Freighter’. This conversion work will include removing seats and the installation of a cargo handling system.

Qantas currently has three A321P2Fs and replacing the remaining 737 freighters with these newer aircraft will simplify Freight’s fleet, bringing extra efficiency in training and maintenance.

The history of commercial flight – how global travel took off

Flying has become the transport of choice for business travellers and holidaymakers across the globe and is now considered one of the fastest, most convenient and safest forms of long-distance travel. But how did commercial flights go from being exclusively for the wealthy to the mainstream and affordable option it is today? Artemis Aerospace guides us through the different decades of air travel and how it has shaped modern-day living.

The first commercial flight The first ever passenger flight took off in May 1908 when Wilbur Wright carried Charles Furnas just 2000 feet across the beach at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina. Just one year later, and the first airline in the world – German airship company DELAG – was founded. In 1914, the world’s first scheduled passenger service, an airboat piloted by Tony Jannus, set off from St Petersburg in Florida and landed at Tampa – around 17 miles away. The service only ran for four months, but it had unlocked the appetite of those keen to tap into the novelty of air transport. A new era of aviation However, it wasn’t until the 1920s when commercial flights carrying paying passengers started to become commonplace with the introduction of the multi-engine aeroplane, the Lawson C-2, which was specifically built to carry passengers. During this time, more and more start-up airline carriers were being established - some of which are still in operation today. These include KLM in the Netherlands (1919), Colombia’s Avianca (1919), Qantas in Australia (1920) and Czech Airlines (1923). Aircraft from this period would land frequently to refuel and fly at lower altitudes due to unpressurised cabins. This made travelling by plane noisy, cold and expensive. Flying times were lengthy and turbulence was frequent. Passengers regularly experienced air sickness and many airlines hired nurses to reduce anxiety and tend to those affected.  In 1935, one of the world’s oldest airlines, Qantas, operated its first international passenger flight, travelling from Brisbane to Singapore. From there, the British-owned Imperial Airways connected this flight to the UK. This was to set the wheels in motion for creating a regular travel route between Australia and the UK in the coming decades. Despite flying being incredibly dangerous and extremely expensive during this period, it was still a fashionable way to travel for the rich. According to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the number of airline passengers grew from just 6,000 in 1930 to nearly half a million by 1934 - the aviation industry was well on its way to becoming hugely important to the global economy. Innovation that revolutionised air travel The introduction of the Douglas DC-3 in 1935 also had a big impact on the future of commercial flight. The propeller-driven airliner was a larger and much-improved aircraft compared to its predecessors. Faster and more reliable, it could carry up to 32 passengers and had a cruising speed of 207mph with a range of 1500 miles. This made it popular with well-established airlines, including Delta, TWA, American and United, who soon added the aircraft to their fleets.

GE Digital’s Airspace Insight to Help Qantas Improve Airspace Efficiency

-Data-driven collaboration with air traffic agencies helps airlines to burn less fuel, emit less carbon, and travel fewer miles
-Graphical depiction of what is going on at a single airport, or across the world, could result in changes in airspace design, pilot decisions
-Flight path designs, coupled with Airspace Insight, can further increase benefits

GE Digital confirmed this week that Australian airline Qantas has chosen to implement Airspace Insight™ as a tool designed to answer complex “what if” questions to improve airspace operations and identify opportunities to help drive more sustainable, efficient, and safe operations.

Airspace Insight is designed to help identify and quantify airspace inefficiencies to reduce overall flight time, fuel burn, and carbon emissions. It is estimated that a typical flight emits 900 to 1,000 kg of excess carbon per flight due to inefficient airspace design and air traffic control practices1. Airspace Insight is the first tool of its kind enabling a collaborative approach among  the necessary stakeholders -- Air Traffic Control (ATC), airlines, airports, airspace designers, and communities) to not only identify inefficiencies in an airspace, but also to recognize unnecessary flight paths over environmentally sensitive areas, helping reduce the impact of noise and pollution. ​

Airspace Insight is designed to better enable Qantas to understand what is happening in their airspace from a safety and efficiency perspective with more detail than they had access to before. This information enhances Qantas’ already industry-leading safety program with data they can use to collaborate with air traffic control organizations around the world. In addition, this data can ultimately help Qantas reduce carbon and other Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions while simultaneous decreasing aircraft noise footprints with optimal routing and more efficient climb and descent profiles.

New winter Qantas flights on offer between Albury and Adelaide

Qantas will operate two weekly return flights each week with a 50-seat Q300 aircraft between Adelaide and Albury for the winter period. The new service is the only direct connection between South Australia and Albury, saving travellers more than three hours on a return journey compared to alternative flight options via Sydney or Melbourne.

Customers will enjoy the benefits of Qantas’ premium service, including complimentary food and drinks, baggage and lounge access in Adelaide before they fly out for eligible frequent flyers. Ski and snowboard equipment can be included within the checked baggage allowance.

QantasLink CEO John Gissing said the new flights reinforced the airline’s commitment to connecting regional Australia.  “We’re continuing to see strong demand for Albury-Wodonga services and this new seasonal route means that the border city now has a direct flight to Adelaide. The new service is great news for local tourism operators, the business community and those looking for a South Australian holiday.

For South Australians, the new route opens up a gateway to their closest snowfields, Falls Creek and Hotham, for what has been a strong early snow season and makes the Albury-Wodonga region more accessible than ever.”

Qantas now connects Albury with four capital cities: Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide.