Qantas Airways

Qantas is a short form for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services." Qantas Airways is the largest airways in Australia and is the world’s second oldest continuously-running independent airline (behind KLM). It is based in Sydney, New South Wales, with its major hub at Sydney Airport. It has its headquarter in the Qantas Centre in the Mascot suburb of the City of Botany Bay, Sydney, New South Wales.

In 2009, Qantas was voted as the sixth best airline in the world by the airline research consultancy firm, Skytrax. The airline has been nicknamed as "The Flying Kangaroo".

It operates Qantas Club which is the business-class airline lounge for Qantas, with airport locations in Australia and many other parts of the world. Qantas was started in the Queensland outback in 1920, by former Australian Flying Corps officers W Hudson Fysh and Paul McGinness. It originally operated airmail services, promoted by the Australian government, linking railheads in western Queensland. In 1934, the airline, in partnership with Britain's Imperial Airways (the predecessor of British Airways), formed a new company and named it as Qantas Empire Airways Limited. Qantas Empire Airways began services between Brisbane and Singapore.

Qantas Airways Fleet:
Qantas Airways maintains a fleet of 133 aircrafts, which includes modern aircrafts such as 38 Boeing 737 - 800, 24 Boeing 747-400, 29 Boeing 767-300ER, 10 Airbus A330-300, six Airbus A330-200, six Boeing 747-400ER and three Airbus 380-800. The average age of its fleet is 8.8 years.

Qantas Airways Destinations:
Qantas connects to all the major destinations around the world including U.S, Argentina, UK, Germany, China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and South Africa. The domestic destinations where it operates are Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia and New Caledonia. In India, Qantas flies to Mumbai city.

Qantas Airways Accolades
Qantas has won loads of honor by Skytrax, which awarded it the title of Best Airline Australia, in 2005, 2006, 2008. It was also honored as Skytrax Best Regional Airline Australia - 2006, 2008. It was scheduled in the top five airlines in the world for five successive years, as Skytrax Airline of the Year. Qantas achieved the WAEA Avion Award for 'Best Overall Inflight Entertainment' in 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006, apart from WAEA Avion Award for 'Best Entertainment for Inseat Systems' in the year 2006. It also grabbed the Inflight entertainment guide - 2005, 2006. Qantas has won a number of Wine Awards in 2005, 2007 and 2008.