What Australian Air Express does

Qantas Freight, legally registered as Australian Air Express, operates as Australia's leading air freight carrier and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qantas Airways Limited (ASX: QAN). The company was founded in 1986 and rebranded to Qantas Freight in 2020 to align with the parent group's brand identity. It provides domestic and international air freight services through a network spanning six geographic regions—Australia, New Zealand/Pacific, Asia, Africa, UK/Europe, and US/Americas—using belly and freighter capacity on Qantas and Jetstar aircraft supplemented by partner airlines. The service portfolio includes three core tiers (Q-GO Priority with money-back guarantee, Q-GO Express, Q-GO Classic), plus custom freight for pharmaceuticals and perishables, charter services, baggage freight, and dedicated pet transportation.

Core technology centers on a digital freight management stack: electronic air waybill (e-AWB) and electronic Consignment Security Declaration (e-CSD) for paperless documentation, Track and Trace for shipment visibility across Australia and Los Angeles terminals, and Dock Direct—an all-digital terminal management platform with an integrated mobile app for drivers. Wholly-owned operating subsidiaries include Qantas Courier (New Zealand door-to-door courier services), JETS Transport Express (road feeder ground transport), and Dock Direct (digital platform subsidiary). Terminals span Sydney (headquarters), Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Los Angeles; documented delays at Sydney Kingsford Smith T1 indicate capacity constraints in the domestic hub.

The business operates on a transaction-fee revenue model with quote-based, non-public pricing. The go-to-market combines a digital self-serve portal for SMBs and individuals, enterprise field sales via dedicated business accounts managed through local Qantas Freight offices, and event-driven charter services for dedicated capacity. Customer segments include large enterprises requiring priority and charter capacity, Australian SMBs participating in the Qantas Business Rewards loyalty program, specialty cargo shippers, and pet owners. Revenue, headcount trend, and contract-level economics are not publicly disclosed; the company reports as a segment within Qantas Airways Limited.

Name

Australian Air Express

Legal name

Australian Air Express

Website

https://aae.com.au

Company type

Public

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Qantas Freight (formerly Australian Air Express) is Australia's leading air freight carrier and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qantas Airways Limited. It provides domestic and international air freight—urgent, express, standard, specialty cargo, and charter—across terminals in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Air Freight Services

NAICS

Couriers and Express Delivery Services (492110), Scheduled Freight Air Transportation (481112), Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation (481212), Support Activities for Air Transportation (4881)

SIC

Air Courier Services (4513), Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512), Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Express Parcel Carriers (Air + Ground) (THABAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Cargo Air Freight Carriers (Scheduled & Charter) (TLADAAAA), Time-Critical Air Charter & On-Demand Air Freight (TLADANAA), Charter Air Freight Forwarding (Full/Part Charter, ACMI Brokerage) (TLACAAAC)

Keywords

• Air freight services
• International parcel delivery
• Freight forwarding
• Cargo handling
• Charter air freight

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Air Freight Services: Core air freight services including Q-GO Priority (urgent), Q-GO Express (fast-tracked), and Q-GO Classic (non-urgent) offerings with tiered service levels and handling capabilities
2. Custom Freight and Specialty Services: Specialized freight solutions for pharmaceuticals, fresh produce, valuable equipment and other specialty cargo requiring custom handling
3. Special Movements: Extra handling and care services for shipments requiring additional attention and specialized treatment
4. Baggage Freight Services: Unaccompanied baggage services from major domestic freight terminals across Australia
5. Charter Services: Dedicated charter services tailored to meet specific destination and shipment needs for customers requiring exclusive capacity
6. Pet Travel Services: Domestic and international pet travel services including booking, specialist handling and care
7. Road Freight Services: Road feeder services connecting international air cargo operations through partnerships

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Australian Air Express (now Qantas Freight) operates air freight and cargo delivery services across domestic Australia and international destinations. Its core offerings include tiered air freight services (Q-GO Priority with Money Back Guarantee, Q-GO Express for fast-tracked handling, and Q-GO Classic for non-urgent shipments), specialty cargo handling for pharmaceuticals, fresh produce, and valuable equipment, charter services, baggage freight, and pet travel services, supported by a digital freight management platform with paperless shipping capabilities.

Product overview

Qantas Freight operates as Australia's leading air freight carrier, offering a unified platform of freight services spanning urgent priority shipping (Q-GO Priority with Money Back Guarantee), expedited handling (Q-GO Express), and standard non-urgent delivery (Q-GO Classic). The portfolio includes specialized services for custom/specialty freight (pharmaceuticals, fresh produce, valuable equipment), special movements requiring extra care, unaccompanied baggage, and dedicated charter solutions. Digital capabilities are integrated throughout via Dock Direct (all-digital terminal management with mobile app), e-AWB (electronic documentation), Track and Trace (real-time tracking), and an improved international booking portal. Road transport is supported through JETS Transport Express partnership, while New Zealand operations are served via Qantas Courier. The service leverages the combined Qantas and Jetstar fleet networks for comprehensive domestic and international coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Q-GO Priority: Urgent shipment service with exclusive Money Back Guarantee for fast-tracked air freight handling
• Q-GO Express
• Q-GO Classic
• Qantas Courier
• JETS Transport Express
• Dock Direct

Products and services

• Q-GO Priority Urgent shipment service with exclusive Money Back Guarantee for time-critical air freight deliveries, designed for businesses and shippers requiring guaranteed fast-tracked handling.
• Q-GO Express Fast-tracked handling service for expedited air freight shipments requiring time-sensitive delivery without the priority tier guarantee.
• Q-GO Classic Non-urgent air freight service for cost-effective shipment delivery on standard delivery timelines.
• Custom Freight and Specialty Specialized freight solutions for pharmaceuticals, fresh produce, and valuable equipment requiring tailored handling, targeted at customers with sensitive or high-value cargo.
• Special Movements Extra handling and care services for shipments requiring specialized attention beyond standard freight processing.
• Baggage Freight Services Unaccompanied baggage services from major domestic freight terminals across Australia, available to individuals and businesses needing to ship personal effects separately.
• Charter Services Dedicated charter service tailored to meet specific destination and shipment requirements, providing exclusive aircraft capacity for customers with bespoke logistics needs.
• Qantas Courier Door-to-door international and domestic courier services from New Zealand, available to individuals and businesses requiring cross-Tasman parcel shipping.
• JETS Transport Express Australia's road feeder service connecting international air cargo to ground transportation networks, supporting air freight operations with first-mile and last-mile trucking.
• Domestic Pet Travel Domestic pet transportation across the Qantas network with specialist handling, available to pet owners needing to relocate animals within Australia.
• International Pet Travel International pet transportation service with specialist handling, designed for pet owners relocating animals to overseas destinations.
• Qantas Business Rewards Loyalty program turning air freight expenses into Qantas Points, available to Australian small to medium sized businesses with an active ABN to reduce net freight costs through rewards.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60T extra capacity on Bangkok to USA service

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JETS Transport ExpresscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJETS Transport Express is Australia's road feeder service of choice for the international air cargo industry, providing ground transportation connections to support air freight operations.
• JetstarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJetstar is a subsidiary airline within the Qantas Group that provides additional belly and freighter capacity for Qantas Freight operations across domestic and international networks.
• Partner AirlinesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerData loggers and temperature-controlled containers approved for uplift on partner airlines in addition to Qantas and Jetstar, expanding network reach and capacity options.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Australian Air Express