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.
This tradition continued as Australia dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic. Qantas operated over 100 international repatriation flights on behalf of the Federal Government to bring Australians home from various hotspots, including Wuhan. These flights were flown by crew who volunteered for these missions.
With COVID-related border closures rendering most flights commercially unviable, Qantas and Jetstar also operated domestic flights on behalf of the government. These maintained critical transport links for people and for goods – including essential medical supplies.
While the COVID crisis is compelling the Qantas Group to restructure much of its business, one thing that won’t change is our commitment to the community. We will be smaller for a period of time, but we’ll continue to serve regional communities and support tourism; to champion diversity and reconciliation; to promote the best of Australia to the world.