QantasLink, the workhorse of Australia’s regional aviation industry, has been named 2012’s ‘Regional Airline of the Year’ by leading industry journal Air Transport World – beating airlines from across the globe.
Air Transport World editors cited QantasLink’s longstanding commitment to delivering an extensive network and excellent customer service for remote and rugged regions of outback Australia.
Chief Editor of Air Transport World, Geoffrey Thomas said, “QantasLink is more than a regional airline. It’s a lifeline to millions of Australians who live sometimes thousands of kilometres from a capital city and hundreds of kilometres from the nearest town.”
“QantasLink is many things to many people. It carries tourists to resorts; farmers, social workers, teachers, medical staff and resource industry workers to the outback; and even politicians to and from the nation’s capital Canberra and has a product to match every need.”
QantasLink Executive Manager Narendra Kumar said he was extremely proud of the award win, which recognised the efforts of the entire QantasLink team.
“QantasLink has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1949 when it was a one aircraft operation based in Tamworth. Today QantasLink is Australia’s largest regional carrier operating 57 aircraft to support a network of 56 metropolitan and country destinations and providing customers with seamless connections to Qantas’ domestic and international services.”
“As a service-focused airline, QantasLink teams work collaboratively with regional Australian communities to identify and enhance air services in markets that require this essential service for both commerce and leisure,” he said.
“In recent times QantasLink has made large-scale investments in product and aircraft to service the needs of our customers. Many of our services have become critical elements of regional customer supply chains, transporting labour into major resource projects via connections through the extensive Qantas network,” Mr Kumar said.
Mr Kumar will formally accept the award on behalf of QantasLink at an official awards ceremony to be hosted by Air Transport World in Singapore on 13 February 2012.
Leave a comment