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Ninety years ago, Qantas launched its first international flight, a 3.5-day marathon
from Brisbane to Singapore. Today, that trip takes just eight hours. Since that first
flight, Qantas has carried 273 million passengers to 34 destinations across 25
countries.

But in recent times, Qantas has hit a few headwinds. Fleet constraints and growing
competition have chipped away at its international market share, dropping it from
16.2% to 15.6% over the past year. There’s relief on the horizon, though: two A380s
are returning to service, and brand-new A321XLRs are expected to arrive by years
end.

Jetstar, meanwhile, has expanded rapidly, adding nearly two dozen aircraft since
2022, including three A320neos and 20 A321neos. Its international market share
rose from 10.3% to 12.1%, lifting the Qantas Group’s total share to 27.7%.

Meanwhile, Qantas is finally flipping the switch on in-flight Wi-Fi for international
routes — starting with flights to Hong Kong and Singapore. Trans-Tasman flights are
next in line mid-year, with long-haul routes to Europe and beyond to follow. While the
airline has lagged behind rivals in offering in-flight connectivity, it’s now catching up
fast.
This digital leap is thanks to a partnership with satellite provider Viasat, which
merged with UK-based Inmarsat in 2023. That deal doubled satellite coverage,
improving reliability and even making it possible to offer Wi-Fi on remote routes —
including those that fly over Antarctica en route to South Africa, where internet was
previously a no-go.

Facing new competition from the Virgin-Qatar alliance, Qantas is upgrading its
international economy meals and rolling out seasonal menus in premium cabins.
Economy passengers will now get a side — like a salad, dessert, or cheese and
crackers — served on a tray that’s 30% larger than before.

Despite a rough March thanks to cyclone disruptions, Virgin Australia still came out
on top as the country’s most punctual airline. Virgin landed 81.8% of its flights within
15 minutes of schedule — just edging out Qantas at 81.1%. Not far behind, Jetstar
and QantasLink clocked in at 79.1% and 79.4%, respectively

The Transport Workers Union has used Labor’s “same job, same pay” laws to reach
an agreement with Qantas Freight, securing pay raises of up to $8,000 for labour
hire workers who work alongside directly hired ground crew. It’s not just the ground
crew getting a boost — over 750 Qantas flight attendants employed through labour
hire companies will also score pay increases of up to $20,000, bringing their pay on
par with directly employed crew members.

Source: What Qantas significant investment in international economy meals look like
by Robyn Ironside The Australian May 11 th ,
Qantas cabin crew win pay rises of up to $20000 by Ewin Hannan The Australian May 18th,
Qantas marks 90 years of international flights as its network expansion is held back from fleet by Robyn Ironside The Australian April 11 th ,
Qantas workers win with $8000 pay deal by Ewin Hannan The Australian April 22 nd , Virgin holds off Qantas to claim best on time performance for cyclone ravished month of March by Robyn Ironside The Australian April 22 nd .