The airline industry in Australia began in the early 1920s with Western Australian Airways on the west coast, and Australian Aircraft & Engineering on the east coast. In 1920 (November), Qantas was formed, and continues to operate. [1]
This is a list of airlines that have a current air operator's certificate issued by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. [2]
Airline | IATA | ICAO | Callsign | Image | Hub airport(s) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Air Link | LZ | Dubbo City Regional Airport | Ceased passenger services January 2018. [3] Recommenced passenger services in November 2019. [4] | |||
Airnorth | TL | ANO | TOPEND | Darwin International Airport | Operates scheduled services to regional airports in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Also has an international service to Timor Leste. [5] | |
Alliance Airlines | UTY | UNITY | Brisbane Airport | Owns and operates a fleet of Fokker aircraft including Fokker 70 and Fokker 100 jet aircraft.[ citation needed ] Operates Virgin Australia branded flights, as well as closed charter and FIFO for mining operations around Australia. [6] They have also wet-leased several Embraer 190s to Qantas since June 2021. [7] | ||
ASL Airlines Australia | PH | SFZ | PIONAIR | Sydney Airport | Operates BAe 146 Freighters on behalf of Qantas Freight, typically under the Qantas callsign. [8] | |
Aviair | GD | East Kimberley Regional Airport | Previously known as Slingair Heliworks. [9] | |||
Bonza | AB | BNZ | BONZA | Sunshine Coast Airport | Ceased passenger services April 2024. Currently under voluntary administration. [10] | |
Eastern Air Services | Port Macquarie Airport | Based in Port Macquarie with RPT between Lord Howe Island and Port Macquarie, Newcastle and Gold Coast. [11] | ||||
Eastern Australia Airlines | QF | QLK | Q-LINK | Sydney Airport | Operates Bombardier Q200 and Q300 aircraft under the QantasLink brand. | |
FlyPelican | FP | FRE | PELICAN | Newcastle Airport | Regional airline operating in NSW, ACT and Queensland with a fleet of 5 Jetstream 32 aircraft. [12] | |
Fly Tiwi | Darwin International Airport | Owned by Hardy Aviation. [13] | ||||
Hinterland Aviation | OI | HND | HINTERLAND | Cairns Airport, Townsville Airport | Operates 2 Beechcraft King Air B200, 8 Cessna 208 Caravan, 2 Cessna 404, 2 Cessna 402 and 1 Cessna 310 aircraft. [14] | |
Jetstar | JQ | JST | JETSTAR | Melbourne Airport | Low-cost subsidiary of Qantas. | |
King Island Airlines | KG | Moorabbin Airport | Operates scheduled services between Moorabbin Airport and King Island Airport. [15] | |||
Link Airways | FC | Brisbane Airport | Airline operated by Corporate Air. Formally known as Fly Corporate. [16] | |||
Nexus Airlines | CT | CONNECT | Geraldton Airport, Broome Airport | A regional airline with bases in Geraldton and Broome. Primarily operates to coastal airports in Western Australia. | ||
Par Avion | FO | ATM | AIRTAS | Launceston Airport, Cambridge Aerodrome | A regional airline based in Hobart, Tasmania. It operates scheduled services for five locations in Tasmania. [17] | |
Qantas | QF | QFA | QANTAS | Sydney Airport, Melbourne Airport, Brisbane Airport | ||
QantasLink | QF | QLK QJE NWK | Q-LINK Q-JET NET-LINK | Sydney Airport, Melbourne Airport, Brisbane Airport, Perth Airport | Owned by Qantas. | |
Rex Airlines | ZL | RXA | REX | Sydney Airport, Melbourne Airport, Perth Airport | Formally known as Regional Express Airlines. | |
Sharp Airlines | SH | SHA | SHARP | Hamilton Airport | ||
Skippers Aviation | HK | SKIPPY s | Perth Airport | |||
Skytrans | QN | SKP | SKYTRANS | Cairns Airport, Brisbane Airport, Horn Island Airport | Skytrans is a Cairns, Queensland based airline and air charter business. It is owned by Avia Solutions Group. | |
Sunstate Airlines | QF | QLK | Q-LINK | Brisbane Airport | Operates Bombardier Q400 aircraft under the QantasLink brand. | |
Virgin Australia | VA | VOZ | VELOCITY | Brisbane Airport, Melbourne Airport, Sydney Airport | ||
Virgin Australia Regional Airlines | VA | VOZ | VELOCITY | Perth Airport | ||
West Wing Aviation | Cairns Airport | Sister company to Skytrans. All flights operate by SkyTrans |
Airline | IATA | ICAO | Callsign | Image | Hub airport(s) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Express Freighters Australia | QE | EFA | EXPRESS FREIGHT | Sydney Airport | Owned by Qantas Freight, a subsidiary of Qantas. | |
National Jet Express | NC | JTE | JETEX | Adelaide Airport | Operates BAe 146 / Avro RJ Freighters on behalf of Qantas Freight.[ citation needed ] | |
Pel-Air | PA | PFY | PELFLIGHT | Brisbane Airport | Operates Saab 340 Freighters on behalf of Qantas Freight. | |
Qantas Freight | QF | QFA | QANTAS | Sydney Airport, Melbourne Airport | ||
Tasman Cargo Airlines | HJ | TMN | TASMAN | Sydney Airport | Operates one Boeing 767-300F for freight operations.[ citation needed ] | |
Team Global Express | TFX | TOLL EXPRESS | Bankstown Airport, Brisbane Airport |
Qantas Airways Limited, or simply Qantas, is the flag carrier of Australia, and Australia`s largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations in Australia and Oceania. A founding member of the Oneworld airline alliance, it is the only airline in the world that flies to all seven continents, with it operating flights to Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Europe, North America and South America from its hubs in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane. It also flies to over 60 domestic destinations across Australia.
Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport — colloquially Mascot Airport, Kingsford Smith Airport, or Sydney Airport — is an international airport serving Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 8 km (5.0 mi) south of the Sydney central business district, in the suburb of Mascot. Sydney Airport is the busiest airport in Oceania. It is the primary airport serving Sydney and is a primary hub for Qantas, as well as a secondary hub for Virgin Australia and Jetstar.
Virgin Australia is an Australian airline based in Brisbane. It is one of two active airlines to use the Virgin brand, as well as the larger by fleet size. It commenced services on 31 August 2000 as Virgin Blue, with two aircraft on a single route. It suddenly found itself becoming a major airline in Australia's domestic market after the collapse of Ansett Australia in September 2001. The airline's business model consists of the core features of a low-cost carrier, along with some elements of a full-service airline. As of June 2024, the airline serves 33 Australian destinations with its Boeing 737 MAX and Boeing 737 Next Generation fleets from its hubs in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.
The Boeing 747-400 is a large, long-range wide-body airliner produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, an advanced variant of the initial Boeing 747. The "Advanced Series 300" was announced at the September 1984 Farnborough Airshow, targeting a 10% cost reduction with more efficient engines and 1,000 nautical miles [nmi] of additional range. Northwest Airlines became the first customer with an order for 10 aircraft on October 22, 1985. The first 747-400 was rolled out on January 26, 1988, and made its maiden flight on April 29, 1988. Type certification was received on January 9, 1989, and it entered service with Northwest on February 9, 1989.
Jetstar Airways Pty Ltd, trading as Jetstar, is an Australian low-cost airline headquartered in Melbourne, Victoria. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Qantas, created in response to the threat posed by the airline Virgin Blue. Jetstar is part of Qantas' two-brand strategy of having Qantas Airways for the premium full-service market and Jetstar for the low-cost market. As of June 2015, Jetstar was carrying 8.5% of all passengers travelling in and out of Australia.
Fiji Airways, formerly Air Pacific, is the flag carrier of Fiji. It operates international services from its hubs in Fiji to 27 destinations, and has an extended network of 108 international destinations through its codeshare partners, including Qantas, who also own a stake in the airline.
Gold Coast Airport is a domestic and international Australian airport located at the southern end of the Gold Coast and approximately 90 km (56 mi) south of Brisbane, within the South East Queensland agglomeration. The entrance to the airport is situated in the suburb of Bilinga near Coolangatta. The main runway itself cuts through the state borders of Queensland and New South Wales. During summer, these states are in two different time zones. The Gold Coast Airport operates on Queensland Time.
Canberra Airport is an international airport situated in the district of Majura, Australian Capital Territory. It serves Australia's capital city, Canberra, as well as the nearby city of Queanbeyan and regional areas of the Australian Capital Territory and southeastern New South Wales. Located approximately 8 km (5.0 mi) from the city centre, within the North Canberra district, it is the ninth-busiest airport in Australia.
The Kangaroo Route is a term coined by Qantas, referring to the commercial passenger air routes flown between Australia and the United Kingdom via the Eastern Hemisphere.
Alliance Airlines Pty Limited is an Australian airline based at Brisbane Airport in Brisbane, Queensland, with operational bases in Adelaide, Cairns, Perth, Townsville, Darwin, and Rockhampton. Alliance Airlines owns and operates a fleet of Fokker and Embraer jet aircraft: Fokker 70, Fokker 100 and Embraer 190. Alliance runs fly-in fly-out (FIFO) air charter services for the Australian mining and resources industry, as well as private aircraft charters throughout Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and South East Asia. Alliance also provides aircraft component sales and leasing worldwide.
QantasLink is a full-service, regional brand of Australian flag carrier Qantas and is an affiliate member of the Oneworld airline alliance. As of 2024, QantasLink provides over 2,000 flights each week to 65 metropolitan, regional and remote destinations across Australia, as well as short-haul international services to Singapore, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and East Timor. Flights are operated by the Qantas owned subsidiaries of Eastern Australia Airlines, National Jet Systems, Network Aviation and Sunstate Airlines, with E190s wet-leased from Alliance Airlines.
Mackay Airport located in South Mackay, Queensland, Australia is a major Australian regional airport that services the city of Mackay, with flights to the cities of Brisbane, Rockhampton, Townsville, Hamilton Island, Cairns, Sunshine Coast and Melbourne. In the year ending 30 June 2012, the airport handled 969,900 passengers making it the 14th busiest airport in Australia.
Newcastle Airport, also known as Williamtown Airport, is an international airport in Williamtown, New South Wales. It is located 15 kilometres; 9.2 miles (8 NM) north of Newcastle in Port Stephens. It is the 13th busiest airport in Australia, handling over 1.25 million passengers in the year ended 30 June 2017, an increase of 6.6% on the previous year. The airport occupies a 28 ha (69-acre) site on the southern border of RAAF Base Williamtown.
The Boeing 747SP is a shortened version of the Boeing 747 wide-body airliner, designed for a longer range. It is the highest flying subsonic passenger airliner, with a service ceiling of 45,100 feet (13,700 m). Boeing needed a smaller aircraft to compete with the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and Lockheed L-1011 TriStar tri-jet wide-bodies, introduced in 1971/1972. Pan Am requested a 747-100 derivative to fly between New York and the Middle East, a request also shared by Iran Air, and the first order came from Pan Am in 1973.
Pel-Air Aviation Pty Ltd is an airline based in Mascot, Sydney, Australia. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Toll Group.
Geraldton Airport is an airport located 6 nautical miles east of Geraldton, Western Australia, in Moonyoonooka along the Geraldton – Mount Magnet Road.
Qantas is Australia's largest airline. Qantas was founded in Winton, Queensland, on 16 November 1920 as Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited by Paul McGinness, Sir Hudson Fysh and Sir Fergus McMaster, the latter of whom was chairman. Arthur Baird was employed as a chief aircraft engineer. McGinness left QANTAS for other interests, and Hudson Fysh remained with the company as General Manager & Managing Director. He retired as Sir Hudson Fysh KBE DFC, Chairman of QANTAS in 1966.
Qantas operates a fleet of Airbus A330, Airbus A380, Boeing 737 and Boeing 787, with a total of 125 aircraft. This list excludes subsidiaries Jetstar, QantasLink and Qantas Freight.
Hardy Aviation (N.T.) Pty Ltd, is an air charter company based at Darwin International Airport in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. It operates air charter services. Its main base is Darwin International Airport.