Three years after being ranked among the world’s least reliable airlines, Qantas is enjoying a particularly successful period. The Australian airline was named the world’s best major airline for on-time performance in June.
According to data published in early July by the specialized firm OAG, Qantas finished June at the top of the global rankings for major airlines in terms of on-time performance, with 87.16% of its 22,617 flights arriving within 15 minutes of their scheduled time. It narrowly edged out Colombia’s Avianca (87%) and India’s IndiGo (86.64%).
This result is all the more remarkable given that just three years ago, Qantas ranked 106th globally in the OAG rankings. This year, the Australian airline has ranked in the global top 3 in five of the last six months, placing second in April and third in May. According to Qantas, this turnaround is driven in particular by the integration of artificial intelligence tools to anticipate disruptions, the overhaul of ground handling procedures at layover airports, better deployment of crews and reserve aircraft, dual-door boarding on certain domestic flights, and a major fleet renewal program, including the introduction of the Airbus A220 and A321XLR.
When asked by nine.com.au about these strong results, Qantas Domestic CEO Markus Svensson highlighted the significant work done by the airline’s teams to improve service reliability, while acknowledging that there is still room for improvement to ensure that every customer’s journey goes smoothly. In June, nearly 85% of Qantas’ domestic flights departed on time – its best result for the month of June since 2017 – while the international network recorded 74% on-time departures and more than 87% of arrivals within 30 minutes of schedule.
This operational success has been accompanied by an improvement in brand image: Brand Finance’s Airlines 50 2026 report ranked Qantas as the 13th most valuable airline in the world, with a brand value up 24% to 3.2 billion U.S. dollars, its highest ranking since 2019. However, public confidence in Australia remains more mixed: a Roy Morgan survey published in early June still ranked Qantas among the country’s least trustworthy brands.
Qantas Cargo inaugurates the new western Sydney Airport:
On July 13, a Qantas Freight Airbus A321 freighter, Flight QF7301, became the very first aircraft to land at the new Western Sydney International Airport (also known as Nancy Bird Walton Airport), located in Luddenham, about 44 kilometers west of downtown Sydney. The aircraft landed at 2:00 p.m. local time after a short flight from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport.
This test flight was designed to validate the operational processes of the airport’s new cargo precinct: aircraft handling, ground operations, IT systems, airside coordination, and cargo transfer procedures. Qantas Freight’s head, Igor Kwiatkowski, described the flight as a key step in testing procedures ahead of the official launch of operations, as the new facility -which operates 24 hours a day (unlike Sydney Airport, which is subject to a nighttime curfew) – is expected to handle more than 850 metric tons of cargo per week.
The timeline for the launch of Western Sydney International is taking shape:
– July 27, 2026: Start of regular domestic cargo operations by Qantas Freight;
– October 25, 2026: The airport’s first commercial passenger flight, operated by Jetstar (Qantas’s low-cost subsidiary), marking the official opening of the airport to passengers;
– March 28, 2027: launch of Qantas (and QantasLink) passenger flights from this new hub.
Qantas will operate a 24,000-square-meter cargo terminal at the site, designed to streamline cargo handling at what is set to become one of the country’s leading air cargo hubs, alongside other operators such as Texel Air, Menzies Aviation, and dnata Cargo.
Qantas will soon launch the world’s longest nonstop flight:
Another strategic initiative for Qantas is the launch of Project Sunrise, its program of nonstop long-haul flights between eastern Australia and Europe or the United States. At an event held last June in Toulouse at the Airbus manufacturing site, Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson confirmed that the world’s longest nonstop flight (estimated at 22 hours) connecting Sydney to London would launch in October 2027.