What Qantas does

Qantas Airways Limited is Australia's flagship carrier and the world's second-oldest continuously operating airline, founded in 1920 and publicly listed on the ASX under ticker QAN. The group operates four integrated businesses: Qantas (full-service passenger airline across domestic, regional, and international routes), QantasLink (regional turboprop/jet operations), Jetstar (wholly-owned low-cost carrier), and Qantas Freight (cargo services, including a new freighter operation at Western Sydney International Airport launching July 2026). A separately significant asset is the Qantas Frequent Flyer loyalty program — a multi-tier membership system generating recurring revenue through credit card co-brands (American Express), hotel, retail, and airline partners, with redemptions spanning flights, upgrades, hotels, retail, and Qantas Pay.

The group's most ambitious technical initiative is Project Sunrise: a 12-aircraft order of customized Airbus A350-1000ULRs (Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, 20,000-litre additional rear centre fuel tank, custom circadian lighting, and a dedicated Wellbeing Zone) enabling 22-hour, 17,015 km non-stop Sydney-London and Sydney-New York services beginning October 2027. The reduced 238-seat cabin (vs the standard ~480) allocates 40% of seats to premium cabins (First and Business), supporting a ~20% fare premium over one-stop alternatives and an expected A$400M+ annual earnings contribution. Digital infrastructure was rebuilt on Adobe Edge Delivery Services, with Adobe CX Enterprise Co-worker enabling multi-agent orchestration; notably, 43% of qantas.com traffic is now LLM bot traffic.

Qantas makes money through four streams: passenger ticket sales (transactional, varying by cabin and route), ancillary fees (baggage, seat selection, with increases from June 9, 2026), freight services (transactional, >850 tonnes weekly from Western Sydney), and the loyalty program (subscription-like recurring revenue from members and partners). The airline serves leisure and business travelers, premium/ultra-long-haul passengers targeted by Project Sunrise, corporate clients via Qantas Business Rewards, and cargo shippers. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer through qantas.com, the mobile app, and airport counters, supplemented by travel agents, OTAs, corporate booking tools, and Oneworld alliance partners.

Name

Qantas

Legal name

Qantas Airways Limited

Website

https://qantas.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Qantas Airways is Australia's flag carrier, operating domestic, regional, and international passenger flights alongside cargo services and the Qantas Frequent Flyer loyalty program. It serves leisure, corporate, and premium travelers across 60+ domestic and 1,300+ global Oneworld destinations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Passenger Airlines

NAICS

Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation (481111), Scheduled Freight Air Transportation (481112), Scheduled Air Transportation (48111)

SIC

Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512)

akta.pro primary industry

Global Network (Intercontinental) Full-Service Airlines (THABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Full-Service Airlines (Passenger + Belly Cargo Integrated) (THABAAAF), Customer Servicing & Member Experience (Contact Centers, Digital) (THABAKAJ), Scheduled Air Cargo Airlines (All-Cargo Carriers) (THABAEAA)

Keywords

• Airline passenger services
• Frequent flyer program
• Air cargo services
• Loyalty rewards program
• Domestic international flights

Headquarters

HQ city

Mascot

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Passenger Ticket Sales: Core revenue stream from selling scheduled air transportation to passengers on domestic and international routes. Revenue generated from economy, premium economy, business, and first class fares across Qantas' extensive network.
2. Freight Services: Qantas operates freighter services from Western Sydney Airport, expecting more than 850 tonnes of freight weekly. Cargo revenue supplements passenger operations.
3. Qantas Frequent Flyer Loyalty Program: The Qantas Frequent Flyer program generates revenue through membership fees, co-brand partnerships with credit cards, hotel partners, car rental partners, and retail partners. Points can be redeemed for flights, upgrades, hotels, and merchandise.
4. Ancillary Revenue: Revenue from additional services including baggage fees, seat selection charges, in-flight purchases, and change fees. From June 2026, additional baggage prices increased on Australian domestic and international flights.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Qantas operates scheduled passenger airline services across domestic Australian, regional, and international routes, complemented by air freight services from Western Sydney International Airport. The company also runs the Qantas Frequent Flyer loyalty program, which enables members to earn and redeem Qantas Points across flights, hotels, retail partners, and oneworld alliance carriers.

Product overview

Qantas operates as a comprehensive airline and loyalty platform consisting of multiple interconnected products and services. The core airline business includes Qantas (full-service carrier), QantasLink (regional operations), Jetstar (low-cost subsidiary), and Qantas Freight (cargo services). The loyalty ecosystem centers on Qantas Frequent Flyer with five tiers (Bronze through Platinum One), supported by sub-programs including Classic Flight Rewards, Classic Plus Flight Rewards, Classic Upgrade Rewards, On Departure Upgrade Rewards, Points Plus Pay, Qantas Club, Green Tier sustainability program, and Points Club. Ancillary services include Qantas Marketplace for retail redemptions, Qantas Pay (prepaid card), Qantas Hotels/Airbnb bookings, Qantas Passenger Perks, and Qantas Explorer domestic fares. The flagship initiative Project Sunrise delivers ultra-long-haul non-stop flights (up to 22 hours) using modified A350-1000ULR aircraft featuring dedicated wellness zones. Digital services include a Qantas app for mobile booking and operations, with integrations to Adobe Experience Manager and American Airlines for loyalty partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Qantas (Mainline Airline) Full-service Australian flag carrier operating passenger flights across domestic, regional, and international routes. Serves individual leisure and business travelers with economy, premium economy, business, and first class cabins.
• QantasLink Regional airline subsidiary operating turboprop and regional jet services to smaller Australian destinations, providing connectivity to communities across the country.
• Jetstar Low-cost carrier subsidiary offering budget-friendly flights across domestic Australian and international routes, serving price-sensitive leisure travelers.
• Qantas Freight Air freight services including dedicated freighter operations from Western Sydney International Airport, serving businesses requiring air cargo transport.
• Qantas Frequent Flyer Five-tier loyalty program (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Platinum One) enabling individual members to earn and redeem Qantas Points for flights, upgrades, hotels, entertainment, and retail rewards across Qantas, oneworld alliance partners, and Airline Partners.
• Qantas Business Rewards Business loyalty program enabling businesses to earn Qantas Points on corporate travel spending and business expenses, redeemable for flights and upgrades.
• Qantas Club Airport lounge membership program providing access to Qantas lounges in Australian cities and worldwide through Oneworld partner alliances, featuring amenities, food, beverages, and workspace.
• Qantas Hotels and Airbnb Accommodation booking platform integrated with Qantas website offering hotels and Airbnb properties with Qantas Points earning opportunities for travelers.
• Qantas Marketplace Online retail platform enabling Frequent Flyer members to redeem Qantas Points for goods, services, and vouchers from third-party retail partners.
• Qantas Pay Multi-currency reloadable prepaid card facility for Australian resident members enabling earning and redemption of Qantas Points on spending.
• Project Sunrise Ultra-long-haul flight initiative enabling non-stop services from Sydney to London and New York using specially modified Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft, with premium-heavy cabin configuration, Wellbeing Zone, and circadian rhythm lighting for flights up to 22 hours.

Quantifiable outcome

• Project Sunrise expected to add A$400+ million annually to earnings
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AirbuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026Airbus developed and manufactured 12 customized A350-1000ULR aircraft for Qantas Project Sunrise ultra-long-haul program. First aircraft (MSN 707) completed maiden flight June 2, 2026. Aircraft feature additional 20,000-litre rear centre fuel tank, Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, and specialized cabin systems for 22-hour non-stop flights.
• Rolls-RoycecoreTechnology or IntegrationRolls-Royce supplies Trent XWB-97 engines powering the A350-1000ULR aircraft for Project Sunrise routes. These engines are specifically designed for ultra-long-haul operations.
• University of Sydney Charles Perkins CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for Project Sunrise developing scientifically-designed wellness features including circadian rhythm lighting, optimized meal timing, and passenger comfort systems for ultra-long-haul flights.
• Caon Design OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterior design partnership for cabin design of Project Sunrise aircraft, creating bespoke First and Business suites with custom features.
• Oneworld AlliancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQantas is a founding member of oneworld alliance, enabling customers to earn/redeem points across 13+ member airlines including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and access to 1,300+ global destinations.
• American AirlinescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOneworld alliance partner providing feed for long-haul routes to South America, Europe, Japan and Australia. Joint operations and loyalty integration through AAdvantage and Qantas Frequent Flyer programs.
• American ExpressminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCredit card partnership allowing cardmembers to earn Qantas Points on purchases and convert loyalty points to Qantas Frequent Flyer program.
• EmiratesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBoth operate A380 aircraft affected by EASA wing crack inspection directive. Emirates operates 15 of 16 affected aircraft, Qantas operates 1. Historical partnership through joint operations on Kangaroo Route before Qantas ended partnership.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Singapore Airlines: Singapore Airlines currently holds the world's longest commercial flight record (Singapore-Newark on A350-900ULR) and is the primary ultra-long-haul competitor Qantas is targeting with Project Sunrise. Both are flag carriers with premium-heavy configurations, comparable loyalty programs (KrisFlyer vs. Frequent Flyer), and similar Asia-anchored global network strategies.
• Cathay Pacific: Cathay Pacific is a fellow oneworld founding member and full-service network carrier headquartered in Asia Pacific, with comparable long-haul international networks, premium cabin products, and a Cathay membership loyalty program that competes directly with Qantas Frequent Flyer for corporate travel share.
• British Airways: British Airways is the dominant oneworld carrier competing head-to-head with Qantas on Sydney-London services and shares deep codeshare and loyalty integration. Project Sunrise's non-stop Sydney-London route is explicitly designed to bypass BA's one-stop hub-and-spoke economics via the Kangaroo Route.
• Air New Zealand: Air New Zealand directly competes on Trans-Tasman routes and operates a comparable full-service domestic-plus-international model with its own loyalty program (Airpoints). Strong regional competitor for premium leisure and corporate travel between Australia and New Zealand.
• Virgin Australia: Virgin Australia is Qantas' primary direct competitor on Australian domestic routes and competes with Jetstar in the value segment. Together with QantasLink and Jetstar, Virgin defines the competitive structure of the Australian domestic market.
• American Airlines: American Airlines is a fellow oneworld member with deep Qantas partnership, joint AAdvantage/Frequent Flyer integration, and competing transpacific routes to Australia. Represents the most significant joint-venture partner and shared-customer base for Qantas' North American operations.

Broad incumbents

• Emirates: Emirates is the world's largest A380 operator and operates Gulf-hubbed long-haul services that compete with Qantas on Australia-Europe and Australia-Middle East routes. Qantas' Project Sunrise is partially a strategic response to Emirates' hub-and-spoke dominance on the Kangaroo Route.
• Lufthansa: Lufthansa is Europe's largest full-service network carrier, a Star Alliance member, and competes with Qantas on Australia-Europe routes via Frankfurt and Munich hubs. Comparable premium cabin strategy and frequent flyer (Miles & More) economics frame it as a structural competitor for corporate travel budgets.
• Delta Air Lines: Delta is a major US network carrier competing with Qantas on transpacific routes and operates SkyMiles, a loyalty program comparable in scale to Qantas Frequent Flyer. As one of the world's largest airlines by revenue, Delta sets competitive benchmarks on yield, premium product, and corporate account management.
• United Airlines: United is a US flag carrier competing directly with Qantas and American Airlines on transpacific routes to Australia and operates the MileagePlus loyalty program. Comparable global network carrier structure with significant premium-cabin long-haul capacity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/qantas
• Facebookfacebook.com/Qantas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qantas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A6 records

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Qantas