VIDEO & GALLERY: Qantas celebrates 90 years of international flying

Qantas is celebrating 90 years of international flying today, marking a milestone in the evolution of the aviation industry and nine decades of connecting Australia with the world.

On 17 April 1935, Qantas operated Australia’s first international passenger flight from Brisbane to Singapore, carrying two customers on a DH86 aircraft. The flight took three and a half days with 16 stops along the way.

Almost a century later, over 273 million customers have flown across the Qantas international network which now spans 56 routes to 34 destinations in 25 countries around the world.

Qantas CEO International Cam Wallace said the anniversary is a proud moment in the national carrier’s history.

“Our first international flight took over three days to reach Singapore from Brisbane, carrying just a few passengers and making more than 15 stops,” he said.

“Fast forward to today and we’re flying thousands of passengers daily on nonstop services between Australia to Singapore and over 7.6 million customers travelled on our broader international network in 2024 – a powerful reflection of how far international travel has come.

“We’re incredibly proud of our history, but equally excited about what’s ahead. This year will see more growth across the Qantas international network, with the launch of flights from Melbourne to Honolulu next month and Sydney to Sapporo later in the year.

“We also look forward to the arrival of our new A350 aircraft, which will reshape what’s possible in ultra-long-haul travel with the introduction of our Project Sunrise non-stop flights from Sydney to London and New York.”

To mark the occasion, Qantas is giving Australians a unique look at its history by unveiling a collection of historical content from its official archives, providing a fascinating snapshot of the aviation industry over the past 90 years.

Qantas will also unveil three limited edition amenity kits for Business customers featuring art from Qantas’ historic archives. The amenity kits will roll out across the Qantas network in the coming months.

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