Airline profile · Southeast Asia & Pacific

Qantas

AustraliaFull-service carrieroneworld memberSince 1920

QFIATA code
QFAICAO code

Qantas (IATA QF, ICAO QFA) is Australia's largest domestic and international airline, founded in 1920 in outback Queensland and based in Sydney. A founding member of oneworld, the Qantas Group carried 55.9 million passengers in the year to June 2026 with 372 aircraft, 138 of them in the Qantas mainline fleet.

Direct connection available on ReservationHub
Founded
1920
First flight
1922
Headquarters
Mascot, Sydney, Australia
Country
Australia
Main hubs
Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) · Melbourne (MEL) · Brisbane (BNE) · Perth (PER)
Airline type
Full-service carrier
Alliance
oneworld
Loyalty
Qantas Frequent Flyer
Parent
Qantas Group
Ownership
Qantas Airways Limited is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, having been fully privatised in 1995. The Qantas Group also owns the low-cost airline Jetstar.
Founders
Paul McGinness, Hudson Fysh, Fergus McMaster
Callsign
QANTAS
Website
qantas.com

How travel agents book Qantas

GDS distribution

Qantas content is available through the GDSs. From 1 July 2025 Qantas applies a distribution surcharge per Qantas-marketed segment on tickets issued through EDIFACT GDS connections (AUD 12, NZD 18 or USD 13.50 depending on point of sale) and a lower charge on Standard NDC booked through a GDS (AUD 4.70, NZD 5.50 or USD 4.00).

NDC

Qantas sells NDC offers through the Qantas Distribution Platform (QDP). Qantas joined Amadeus's NDC-X programme in 2018, Amadeus began piloting Qantas NDC offers with agents in July 2021, and Travelport made Qantas NDC content available to agencies in 52 countries across Asia-Pacific and EMEA in November 2022. Premium NDC and Standard NDC through non-GDS technology partners are exempt from the distribution surcharge.

Direct channels

Direct channels include qantas.com, the Qantas app and the Qantas Distribution Platform Portal (QDPp) for agents, which is also exempt from the surcharge. Agency policies are published on Qantas Agency Connect.

Notes for travel agents

The surcharge is charged per QF flight segment regardless of validating carrier, applies to adults and children (not infants without a seat), and is refundable on unused QF segments. Exemptions include certain oneworld fare products, Qantas/Emirates fare break points and Point of Sale China, Hong Kong and Macau; NDC access through Travelport requires participation in the Qantas Channel.

On ReservationHub

Qantas is one of the direct airline connections listed on our integrations page, alongside GDS (Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport) and NDC content. Agencies get it in the SaaS platform; developers through the Travel API.

History of Qantas

Qantas was registered on 16 November 1920 in Winton, Queensland, by Paul McGinness, Hudson Fysh and Fergus McMaster, and moved its operations to Longreach in early 1921. Its first aircraft was an Avro 504K. Scheduled services began in 1922, and in 1935 Qantas started flying between Brisbane and Singapore, its first international passenger route.

In 1947 Qantas passed into government ownership and opened the Kangaroo Route between Sydney and London. It brought the Boeing 707 into service in 1959 and the Boeing 747 in 1971, merged with Australian Airlines in 1992 and was fully privatised and listed on the stock exchange in 1995. It co-founded the oneworld alliance, which launched in 1999.

Qantas marked its centenary in 2020. In 2022 it ordered Airbus A350-1000s for Project Sunrise, non-stop flights from Sydney to London and New York, with the aircraft expected to enter service from 2027. The airline has also moved agency sales towards NDC through its Qantas Distribution Platform.

Milestones

  1. 1920Registered on 16 November in Winton, Queensland.
  2. 1935First international passenger flights, Brisbane to Singapore.
  3. 1947Passed into public ownership; Kangaroo Route to London opened.
  4. 1995Fully privatised and listed on the stock exchange.
  5. 1999oneworld launched with Qantas as a founding member.
  6. 2022Ordered Airbus A350-1000s for Project Sunrise.
  7. 2025New distribution surcharge for EDIFACT and GDS NDC tickets from 1 July.

Fleet

Airbus A380-800 Airbus A330-200/-300 Airbus A321XLR Airbus A220 Boeing 787-9 Boeing 737-800

Aircraft types in service as of 2026

At 30 June 2026 the Qantas mainline fleet had 138 aircraft: 79 Boeing 737-800s, 16 A330-200s, 12 A330-300s, 14 Boeing 787-9s, 10 A380s and 7 A321XLRs. The wider Qantas Group, including Jetstar and QantasLink, had 372 aircraft. Five A350-1000ULRs for Project Sunrise are expected by November 2027.

Network and hubs

Qantas flies a large Australian domestic network and international routes from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth to Asia, North America, Europe, the Pacific and South Africa. Regional services are flown under the QantasLink brand, and Jetstar operates the group's low-cost flights.

The Qantas Group carried 55.9 million passengers in the 2026 financial year, and Qantas Frequent Flyer had 18.9 million members at 30 June 2026. Qantas and Emirates also cooperate under a joint coordination agreement, which shows up in fare construction for agents.

Qantas: frequently asked questions

What are Qantas' airline codes?

Qantas uses the IATA code QF and the ICAO code QFA, with the radio callsign QANTAS. Its registered company name is Qantas Airways Limited, and its low-cost sister airline Jetstar and the QantasLink regional brand belong to the same Qantas Group.

What is the Qantas distribution surcharge?

From 1 July 2025 Qantas adds a surcharge per QF segment on tickets issued through EDIFACT GDS channels, for example AUD 12 in Australia or USD 13.50 in most other markets. Standard NDC booked via a GDS carries a lower charge, while Premium NDC, non-GDS NDC and Qantas direct channels are exempt.

How do travel agents book Qantas NDC?

Agents can book Qantas NDC offers from the Qantas Distribution Platform through NDC-enabled GDSs such as Amadeus and Travelport, through NDC technology partners, or through the Qantas Distribution Platform Portal. The channel chosen affects whether the distribution surcharge applies.

Is Qantas in oneworld?

Yes. Qantas was one of the founding members of oneworld, which launched in 1999 with American Airlines, British Airways and Cathay Pacific. Qantas Frequent Flyer members can earn and redeem points across oneworld airlines.

Sell Qantas alongside 700+ airlines

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Sources

  1. Qantas — Our history
  2. Qantas — Our fleet
  3. Qantas — Our company
  4. Qantas Group — 2026 Annual Report
  5. Qantas Agency Connect — Distribution surcharge policy
  6. Amadeus — Amadeus celebrates NDC milestone with Qantas (July 2021)
  7. Travelport — Qantas NDC content to agents in 52 countries across EMEA and APAC (November 2022)
  8. Qantas Newsroom — 90 years of Qantas international flying
  9. British Airways Media Centre — Partners and Alliances (oneworld founders)
  10. oneworld — Member airlines
  11. IATA — Airline code search (Qantas)
  12. FAA — JO 7340.2 Contractions, ICAO aircraft operator designators

Profile updated by the ReservationHub team. Airline details change: confirm schedules, fares and policies with the airline before booking. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.