Virgin, Qantas and the battle for Longreach

This brief Twitter exchange between the official Virgin Australia and Qantas Twitter accounts on Tuesday night shows that there is no love lost between Australia’s major airlines.

In fact, as Twitter user @PeterLoh was quick to point out, Qantas was in fact established in Winton.

“In the words of (founding chairman Sir Fergus) McMaster, Winton was `the official birthplace of Qantas’,” the Qantas history on the airline’s website records. “The first and only meeting of directors in the town was held on 10 February 1921. Qantas operations were then moved 160km south-east to Longreach, which was more central to the operational area.”

But this is hardly the first time the facts haven’t been allowed to get in the way of a stoush on Twitter…

Comments (7)

bob

June 11, 2014 at 5:14 am

Qantas became a listed company years ago , it also took over TAA whose early aviation history opening up Australia domestically seems equally important . I don’t no if there are any aircraft at Longreach in TAA colours , how nice that would be . How many items were even kept by Qantas of this once great airline . Seems a very petty response from Qantas .

brett hetherington

June 14, 2014 at 1:41 pm

clearly now is the winton of their discontent?

Freddie

June 16, 2014 at 2:17 pm

Tsk! tsk! Qantas. Before you there was TAA and also Australian Airlines have flown under your banner. I don’t get your point. The Virgin flight was a charter flight – a visitor to the town. The towns folk were no doubt happy to see it and the passengers they carried. I feel you are being too precious and trying to make a mountain our of a mole hill. Perhaps it is sour grapes that you didn’t win the charter rights on this occasion……? Regardless your response is a tad titchy and unnecessary.

Peter

June 16, 2014 at 2:59 pm

And Qantas would not park their Dash 8 somewhere else for the hour or less it was there in order to allow the VA B737 to stay on the ramp for the day. Cost $kk to send a tug from Brisbane and tow the B737.

Henk Luf

June 16, 2014 at 4:41 pm

I had a look at that exchange on Twitter. A bit of humour without stating actual facts never goes astray.

Kellie

June 17, 2014 at 9:39 am

Yes but lets not forget that regardless of the digs, Qantas has brought a lot of business in regards to tourism to the area and their muesum is fantastic. You can’t beat a trip to the Stockmans Hall of Fame and a trip to the Qantas Muesem & Kids absolutely love it too. I’m pretty sure the Royals went to visit as well. Come on, give credit where credit is due.