Qantas no longer claims to be world's oldest continuously operating airline?

[MEL_Traveller]

I was thinking about the media release regarding the 'world's first reclinable seat during take-off and landing' which got me to thinking about other 'claims' and eventually to the 'world's oldest continuously operating airline' claim (as distinct from KLM which is older, but was forced to suspend operations during WWII)

Press release from early 2011 (USA): Qantas Airways, the world's longest continuously operating airline, today announced a fare sale to Auckland, New Zealand...

now seems to have been quietly replaced by

Press release from 2014 (USA): Qantas is one of the world's longest-established airlines. With almost 80 flights per week across the Pacific...

The grounding of the entire Qantas fleet had some wider and perhaps unintended consequences?

 

[Warks]

I bet they didn't think of that consequence at the time.

 

[harvyk]

I think it has more to do with the fact that KLM is no longer really KLM since it was brought out by AF. QF can still lay claim to longest continuously operating airline since the business it was on day 1 is still the business it is today, and re:the grounding, yes for a couple of days they stopped flying, but it's not like they had to effectively start from scratch again like KLM did in 1945...

 

[Himeno]

and re:the grounding, yes for a couple of days they stopped flying, but it's not like they had to effectively start from scratch again like KLM did in 1945...

Also with the grounding, only QF mainline flights stopped. Jetstar, Jetconnect and QantasLink flights were still operating. So, Qantas Group was still flying.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I think it has more to do with the fact that KLM is no longer really KLM since it was brought out by AF. QF can still lay claim to longest continuously operating airline since the business it was on day 1 is still the business it is today, and re:the grounding, yes for a couple of days they stopped flying, but it's not like they had to effectively start from scratch again like KLM did in 1945...

i don't think there is any dispute that KLM (still operating under it's own name) is the world's oldest airline. Note it appears Qantas (nothing to do with KLM) that seems to have dropped the claim.

Qantas used to state it was the world's oldest continually operating airline, reflecting there was no disruption in service during WWII as experienced by KLM.

With the grounding of the fleet, Qantas, as an airline (distinct from Qantas Group) I guess was no longer the oldest continually operating airline. It ceased operations for a period of time.

KLM recently celebrated it's 95th birthday! (Happy birthday KLM )

 

[harvyk]

i don't think there is any dispute that KLM (still operating under it's own name) is the world's oldest airline. Note it appears Qantas (nothing to do with KLM) that seems to have dropped the claim.

Qantas used to state it was the world's oldest continually operating airline, reflecting there was no disruption in service during WWII as experienced by KLM.

With the grounding of the fleet, Qantas, as an airline (distinct from Qantas Group) I guess was no longer the oldest continually operating airline. It ceased operations for a period of time.

KLM recently celebrated it's 95th birthday! (Happy birthday KLM )

A marketer deciding what's the best message to push at any given time?
Companies made claims which stretch the truth all the time. Something makes me think that the grounding had nothing to do with the current marketing message.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Wonder what the 100 year anniversary PJ's will be like ?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

i don't think there is any dispute that KLM (still operating under it's own name) is the world's oldest airline.

Not entirely accurate. If my memory serves me, there was an issue of what constitutes an airline. I can't remember which way around it is but one of them was registered first and the other started flying first...........there was a debate as I recall as to which could lay claim to being the "first" and hence "oldest" airline still flying. I think the "continuous" part was just QF twisting the knife a bit (justifiably in my opinion ).

 

[maninblack]

I think it has more to do with the fact that KLM is no longer really KLM since it was brought out by AF. QF can still lay claim to longest continuously operating airline since the business it was on day 1 is still the business it is today, and re:the grounding, yes for a couple of days they stopped flying, but it's not like they had to effectively start from scratch again like KLM did in 1945...

Why is the ownership of KLM an issue, after all Qantas was originally a private company, then it was nationalised and owned 100% by the government and is now a listed public company?

 

[Deleted member 29185]

I just did a search and found this post by Aussie747 on Airliners.net

Take it as you will of the following which is factual.

KLM -
Founded Oct 7 1919
First Flight May 17 1920
Airline has operated continuously even during WW2. However the airline did not fly out on Netherlands throughout WW2. It's operations were confined to operating out of the UK only at that time.

QANTAS
First Flight was 10 Nov 1919 under business name of Western Queensland Auto Aero Service Limited
Founded as QANTAS when business name was re registered on 16Nov 1920

AVIANCA
Formed as AVIANCA in June 14 1940
Originally known as SCADTA when formed on December 5 1919

So interpret all of the above as you will. KLM is the oldest airline under the original name. However QANTAS is the oldest if you take into account it's origins.

Those are the historical facts.

 

[RooFlyer]

I was going to bring Avianca into it, but then looked up its history in detail and its a bit tortured to be a contender for any placing.

All this exercise needs to agree on is a definition of 'continuously operating'; good luck with that