A remarkable story

And it was McGuinness going the extra mile to recover a wealthy cattleman’s car from a sandy river bed that led to that airline being formed. Fergus McMaster was so impressed with the trouble McGuinness had taken that an enduring friendship was struck. Later, McMaster would write “that chance accident and meeting, that true Australian help and friendship given me, perhaps was the greatest factor in the shaping of Qantas to be.”

Thus Western Queensland Auto Aero Service Limited was formed in August 1920 and the name later changed to Australian Transcontinental Aerial Service Company Limited and on 16 November 1920, Queensland and Northern Territories Aerial Services Limited was registered.

The history of Qantas is a remarkable story of passion to do the impossible against insurmountable odds. The link to Britain via an Indian Ocean route to Ceylon in darkest days of WW11 was a classic case.

This service started on June 29 1943 using five twin-engine Consolidated Catalinas from Matilda Bay, Nedlands a riverside suburb in Perth.

Flown in radio silence using only celestial navigation the aircraft named after navigational stars – Vega, Alistair, Rigel, Antares and Spica – made the crossing to Celyon in about 27 hours but some took up to 32 hours.

Everything about the service was extraordinary. The aircraft frequently took off overweight carrying seven tonnes of fuel but could only carry a 500kg payload of five passengers and mail.

When the flights ended on 18 July 1945, the aircraft had made 271 crossings and had carried 858 passengers more than one million miles without a single accident.

In 2010 the aircraft and the mission may be very different but the driving fundamental for success is the same – passion.

But is passion is being sorely tested at Qantas since privatization as staff come to grips with a new order and discipline of “shareholder returns” that has replaced the waving of the Australian flag.

Staff loyalty was also tested by the Aviation Partners Australia buyout in 2008 that was later dismissed by the Macquarie Bank as “just another deal.”

Qantas is far, far more than just another deal. Not only is staff passionate about Qantas, the Australian public love the airline. It is one of our greatest icons of which we are intensely proud, despite our constant criticism.

Whereas some previous management lost the right stuff when it came to staff relations and innovation current CEO Alan Joyce and his team appear to have it.

However the staff must be realistic. Sure meager profits are there but only by virtue of a robust frequent flyer program and a successful low cost airline.

It’s sobering to note that 50 per cent of Australian’s flying do so on Jetstar, Virgin Blue and Tiger Airways. That percentage probably swells to 75 per cent when one takes into account the tens of thousands that fly on heavily discounted tickets on Qantas itself.

And facing Qantas is the fact that Virgin Blue is going to launch an attack on its premium domestic market early in the New Year, with both product and price. Many analysts suggest that the Australian domestic may get ugly.

There is absolutely no possibility that the airline industry will pay its professionals what they deserve. It may have back in the 1960 and 70s but those days are long gone.

The challenge for Qantas staff is to recognize that and for the airline’s management to understand that what cannot be delivered in the pay packet must be delivered in other forms.

The same innovation and passion that has made Qantas operationally the world’s greatest airline must now be focused on outcomes that inspire staff to go that extra mile and to ensure they do lose that passion.

There are many ways to pay staff – money is only one. Mr Joyce and his management have an awesome responsibility to keep the staff inspired as Qantas is part of the fabric of our society.