105 Years of Qantas, The Spirit of Australia
- Jun 28
- 2 min read
Qantas is my favourite airline. Why I feel so strongly loyal I’m not sure, perhaps because I’m deeply proud of its Australian heritage, and perhaps because I’ve travelled with Qantas more than any other airline and feel safe doing so.
Currently travelling in outback Australia I’ve made my way to Winton and Longreach in Queensland. Both key to the rise of Qantas it's been inspiring to hear about the war veteran founders and their vision for the future of flight.
Q.A.N.T.A.S. began as the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Ltd., starting in Winton in and moving to Longreach in 1921.
In 2026 these regions are still remote and it’s hard to imagine how remote they would have felt over a hundred years ago. It is easy to understand how transformational the ability to fly people and supplies between regions has been, and the impact Qantas has had globally is profound.
Visiting the Qantas Founders Museum in Longreach I saw examples of planes used over time as technology improved, and the dawn of the jet age made international travel mainstream.
Due to my love of design perhaps my favourite thing to see was the replica of the 1970’s interior which I recognised from the Qantas video. There is something so joyful about retro colours and style.
As I was reconnecting with the origin of Qantas, they announced a new era in flying that will start late 2027. Called Project Sunrise it offers the first non-stop flights Sydney to London. They will be using new A350’s that look beautiful, particularly first class which I will fantasise about.
My next flight with Qantas is coming up in September and the first part of my trip is flying Sydney to London. As I’m flying economy I’ve broken it up with a one-night stopover in Singapore to avoid the continuous 24+ hours of travel, so I understand the appeal of a shorter single leg flight. At the same time the possibility of spending 19-22 hours in the air non-stop is daunting but I’m sure I’ll get used to the idea.
I feel incredibly fortunate to be living in a time in history where flying is possible. I’ve loved every travel adventure to date and there is still so much more of the world I hope to experience. Every time I fly it feels like a miracle.
