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April 8, 2008

Qantas Airline

What keeps Qantas Airline
the Australian National Carrier
going continuously for 87 Years?


Qantas Airline the Australian National carrier, founded in Queensland Outback in 1920, was originally registered as Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service (Qantas), with its kangaroo Logo, has been in the Air for 87 Years, longer than any other Independent Airlines, KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, exact translation in English Royal Aviation Company, known as KLM Royal Dutch Airlines), is the Oldest Airline founded in 1919, but since its takeover by Air France in 2003, now called Air France-KLM, it is no longer has the longest unbroken record as an Independent Airline.

Chalk's Ocean Airways, founded in 1917 with ad-hoc charter operations is the unofficial oldest airline in the world, but this is disputed by some people as the airline is no longer flying.

I was surprised in my little research of the World Airlines, to find out that the longest and the oldest unbroken record in the Airline Business goes to Qantas. I Suppose they do it better than anyone and manage to stay in the Air, Because Australia is so far from everywhere else, the only way to get in and out of Australia quickly is by Air. Even getting to some parts of Australia takes days if going overland. Remarkably Qantas has one of the best safety records and air worthiness amongst all the World Airlines, its also profitable and well run.

I was expecting that this record would be held by a European or a North American Airline like KLM the Royal Dutch Airline, Air France, British Airways (BA), Lufthansa, American Airlines, Continental Airways, United Airlines or Air Canada.

When I started my little research, I was almost sure that it would be British Airways, and at some point I was thinking that it would be Aeroflot Russian Airways, which for many years was the largest Airline in the World and has the largest fleet of Aircrafts.

The Airline business is a difficult business, it’s a business where giants like Pan Am (Pan American Airline), TWA, Swiss Air, Nigerian Airways and Laker Airways disappear overnight, and are never heard of again.

Its also a business that has a lot of glamour and opulence, the Airline Business has created well known names like the legendary Sir Freddie Laker the pioneer of no frills Airlines, best known for founding Laker Airways in 1966, Sir Richard Branson Founder of Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Blue and Virgin Nigeria, Stelios Haji-Loannou Founder of Easy Jet and Michael O’Leary the Boss of Ryan Air the Irish Airline.

The title of longest running independent airline goes to Qantas, I know some people may dispute this, and would like to give this title to KLM, but all the other Airlines in the World carrying travellers, students, Families, Business Men and Women, on countless Holidays, Business Trips and Weekend Breaks, must also be recognised, as being vital and integral part of the Travel and Tourism Industry the World over.

What will be interesting to see is how many of these airlines will survive the difficult economic climate and high costs of oil that is destined to reach $200 USD a barrel.

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