Alan Joyce – Remarks at Announcement of New Qantas Brand

Sydney | Published on 5th January 2017 at 15:07

We tend to bring you to this hangar for big milestones and big announcements.

And today’s event definitely fits the bill, because we’ve got some really exciting things to share.

We’re marking one year to go until the Qantas 787 Dreamliner arrives.

And in a moment, we’ll unveil the Business and Economy cabins that will help keep people comfortable on the long flights it’s capable of.

Because, this is an aircraft built for comfort – from the larger windows and technology to reduce jetlag, to the fact the Qantas Dreamliner will have more space per customer than many of our competitors.

The Business Suites are an updated version of the hugely popular seat on our A330s – which many of our Frequent Flyers nickname “mini First Class”.

The layout in Business Class means there is direct isle from every seat. And you can stay reclined during take-off and landing, instead of having to interrupt your rest to go back into the “upright position”.

The Economy seats are completely new design, and offer some of the extra features that other airlines reserve for Premium Economy.

A lot of thought has gone in to the Economy Cabin. The cushions have been designed for extra comfort on long flights. The seat-back entertainment screen is high-definition and bigger. And they have more room than any other Economy seat in the Qantas fleet.

Our Premium Economy is like nothing else in its class – to the point where we’re not unveiling it until early next year.

I have to be honest – we’ve had some help with all of this.

Because if you’re designing the national carrier’s flagship, you should get some of the best of Australia to work on it – like Marc Newson, and Martin Grant and Neil Perry.

We’ve combined their talent with our 95 years of experience, to make sure the Qantas Dreamliner is something truly special to fly.

But showing you what to expect inside the Dreamliner isn’t the only reason we’re here this morning.

New types of aircraft mean something special for airlines. They let you go further and do more.

In the 1940s and ‘50s, the Lockheed Constellation opened up the world to Qantas, helping us become one of the first airlines to offer a round-the-world service.

In the ‘60s, the Boeing 707 took us into the jet age. Now we could fly above the weather, which made travel a lot more pleasant and cut flying times in half.

In the 70s and 80s, the Boeing 747 put an overseas trip within reach for millions of Australians. It ultimately let us fly non-stop across the Pacific on what is now one of our most popular routes.

In the 2000s, the Airbus A380 gave us a whole new level of space and comfort, letting us reimagine what service on an aircraft could be.

The Dreamliner is that next remarkable aircraft. And it joins the Qantas fleet at a remarkable time.

After a lot of hard work, the national carrier is stronger than ever.

We’re investing in new technology to expand our horizons.

And we’re moving towards our 100th anniversary in 2020.

It’s a new era at Qantas. And like at other key points in our history, we want to reflect that new era with a new look.

So for only the fifth time in all those years, we have redesigned the Flying Kangaroo – the image that’s featured on every one of our aircraft since the Second World War.

The Flying Kangaroo has come to represent the Spirit of Australia.

For Aussies overseas, it’s a reminder of home.

For overseas visitors, it’s their first taste of Australia.

The world over, our Kangaroo is a symbol of safety, reliability, endurance, adventure.

And for all those reasons, we have evolved it with great care.

We’ve got a bit of a preview for you this morning.

A few weeks ago, one of our Airbus A330s was flown to the Mojave Desert in California to be painted in the new design.

That aircraft took off from California yesterday.

It touched down in Sydney a few minutes ago.

And it’ll be pulling into this hangar any minute now.

And so on behalf of everyone at Qantas, I’m really proud to unveil our latest Flying Kangaroo.

The design that becomes the new Qantas brand from today.

That will be showcased on the Qantas Dreamliner from 2017.

And that will take its place on every Qantas aircraft by our centenary in 2020.

It’s fresh, modern and streamlined – a lot like Qantas.

It’s an evolution of an icon – so it feels new but still familiar.

And it has a nod to our history – especially the old-school Flying Kangaroo just under the cockpit window.

It’s a new Qantas brand, for a new era, as we prepare for new aircraft and new horizons.

We hope you like it as much as we do.