Australian Airlines - History

History

The airline was established in 2001 and started operations on 27 October 2002, reusing the name Qantas gained when it acquired former Australian domestic carrier Australian Airlines in September 1992. Its initial network of flights concentrated on leisure tourism between Queensland and Japan. Subsequent expansion brought on other leisure destinations throughout Southeast Asia. On 12 April 2006 Geoff Dixon, CEO of the Qantas Group, announced that the group would be focusing its two-brand strategy, Qantas and Jetstar brands, and as such Australian Airlines brand would cease to exist from July 2006.

The airline's aircraft have been painted back into the Qantas livery and returned to Qantas short-haul for use on their domestic and trans-Tasman routes. Alternative Boeing 767-300 aircraft (in Qantas two-class configuration) were supplied to Australian Airlines by Qantas, for them to operate under a wet lease agreement in the interim. Australian Airlines continued to operate under this agreement, servicing several routes to Japan including twice-daily flights to Tokyo-Narita Airport in Japan and also flights to Manila-NAIA Airport in the Philippines.

During April 2006, Qantas confirmed that, in order to focus on its two-brand strategy of Qantas and Jetstar, the Group decided that it would abandon Australian Airlines. On 30 June 2006, Australian Airlines ceased to exist, with the airline's Boeing 767-300s and crew to still provide services from Cairns under the Qantas brand. The following day, the airline's fleet was absorbed into Qantas's mainline fleet. The parent company closed down the Australian Airlines operation completely at the end of August 2007.