Our community

Since Qantas was founded in the Queensland outback in 1920, our iconic Australian airline has helped the communities in which we operate. From assisting Australians in times of natural disaster to providing an international platform to showcase the best our country has to offer, the Qantas Group continues to make a significant social and economic contribution.

The Qantas Group has an integral role in the Australian economy, both as the national carrier and as one of the largest employers in the country. We remain committed to supporting Australian jobs and businesses.

Deloitte Access Economics reports found:

• The Qantas Group had a $22 billion impact on the Australian economy in FY17. This includes indirect economic impact adding up to $11.6 billion, or 0.7 per cent of Australian GDP, as well as $10.7 billion of tourism spending throughout the country.
• We directly and indirectly support almost 60,000 jobs, with one in nine jobs in the tourism sector attributable to expenditure by those travelling on Qantas Group airlines.
• We contributed about $5 billion to the economy in regional Australia, with $800 million in direct contributions.
  

2017 National Economic Contribution of the Qantas Group Report (PDF) 
2017 National Economic Contribution of the Qantas Group Fact Sheet (PDF)
2017 Regional Economic Contribution of the Qantas Group Report (PDF)  
2017 Regional Economic Contribution of the Qantas Group Fact Sheet (PDF) 

• As the national carrier, we are proud to support Australian businesses by showcasing their products across the country and around the world. We spent over $7 billion with Australia based suppliers in FY18, representing 64 per cent of total procurement expenditure. With our origins in outback Australia, we recognise the importance of supporting regional communities. We do business with more than 1,100 suppliers in regional areas.
• The Qantas Group has Australia’s largest regional footprint by network, fleet and capacity connecting local communities and economies. 
• In FY18, the Qantas Group launched its own ‘discounted fares for residents' scheme which provides discounts of up to 30 per cent for eligible residents in nine towns in Queensland and Western Australia where customers from the mining and energy sectors dominate demand. The Group also works with the Queensland Government on smaller initiatives. Where Qantas has adjusted capacity due to crew constraints it has capped fares in the market.
• We’re proud to count many Australian small businesses among our suppliers. We recognise that prompt, reliable payments can help small suppliers remain viable and even expand and create jobs, so we’ve signed up to the Business Council of Australia (BCA) Australian Supplier Payment Code. We have implemented the new Qantas small business payment terms and rolled it out to over 1,700 suppliers.  

Growth in the tourism sector is a crucial input into the Australian economy. We’re supporting this growth through marketing partnerships with federal, state and territory governments both internationally and domestically, and our own extensive marketing and media strategy. For instance:

• We are the largest investor in Australian tourism, with $80 million in marketing agreements with Tourism Australia and state tourism bodies.

• Our safety videos – which are seen about 90 million times a year across our flights and social media platforms – showcase the best of Australia to an international audience.

• Global media coverage for the Perth-London route was recently valued at up to $100 million in advertising equivalent value.
  

Since 2007, our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) has shaped our commitment to create work and training opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, incorporating Indigenous businesses into our supply chain and tell the stories of the First Australians. The Qantas RAP has been accredited with Elevate status, meaning we are a leader in corporate Australia.

Our RAP documents the commitments we have made to foster and champion:

• Sustainable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander economic development
• Inter-cultural competency, and
• Uniquely Australian customer experiences.

We believe in showcasing Australian success on the world stage and, in turn, inspiring the next generation of Australians to do great things. Our sports and arts sponsorships are focused on supporting elite Australian talent and helping our national teams excel in global competitions.

Australia is a sporting nation and we are proud to support Rugby Australia, the Football Federation of Australia and Cricket Australia.

The Qantas Group has long-standing partnerships with organisations that have a positive impact on the community.

For Qantas, these partners include Make-a-Wish Australia, the National Australia Day Council, the Australian Olympic and Paralympic Committees, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and UNICEF Australia.

Qantas, alongside many other Australian companies, engages on a number of social issues from gender diversity and LGBTI inclusion to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander reconciliation. Our identity is the Spirit of Australia, and one of the most fundamental values in this country is the notion of a ‘fair go’, which is why we speak up on important social issues — just as we do on economic matters. In 2019, we were proud to join with 13 other Elevate RAP organisations to share our support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart and its proposed reforms of voice, treaty and truth.