BUSINESS & TRAVEL - Qantas Airways Achieves Record-Breaking Bookings - February, 2007

In January for Travel to Australia G’Day USA Boosts Interest in Australia for Down Under Travel. “One of the key objectives for G’Day USA is to raise awareness for Australia’s commercial and cultural profile among the American public,” said Wally R. Mariani, Qantas Airways senior executive vice president, The Americas and Pacific.

LOS ANGELES, California USA -- (BUSINESS WIRE) - Tuesday February 12, 2008

North Americans increasingly choose to make Australia one of their favorite travel destinations. This increasing demand for travel has pushed the airline’s bookings during January to record-breaking levels. Australia’s popularity as a business and leisure destination for Americans may be attributed in part to the increased awareness that the annual G’Day USA Australia Week events create. Now in its fifth successful year, G’Day USA is the largest foreign country festival celebrating art, commerce, culture and history. It is celebrated in both Los Angeles and New York and showcases Australia’s vitality as a place to visit and conduct business.

“One of the key objectives for G’Day USA is to raise awareness for Australia’s commercial and cultural profile among the American public,” said Wally R. Mariani, Qantas Airways senior executive vice president, The Americas and Pacific. “By creating a series of uniquely Australian events each year, G’Day USA brings Americans and Australians together and delivers measurable results for business, trade, investment and tourism,” he added.

As the official airline of Australia Week, Qantas Airways has been a key partner in the establishment and execution of G’Day USA along with the Australian Consulate General, Tourism Australia and the Australian Trade Commission.

Mr. Mariani continued, “We are very pleased that the four founding members that originally established G’Day LA in 2004 are still working together. As a testament to the success of G’Day USA year after year, most of our commercial and government sponsors have been partners every year since the festival’s inception.”

Qantas continues to meet the growth in business and tourism by increasing flights between North America and Australia. In March 2008, non-stop flights to Brisbane will increase to daily service from five per week. At the same time, additional non-stop flights from Los Angeles to Sydney will bring the total to 17 weekly flight choices. By April 2008, Qantas will offer 47 flights per week between the U.S. and Australia, nearly doubling the number of seats over the past five years. In October, Qantas will be the first airline to fly the Airbus A380 from Los Angeles to Australia.

Mariani added, “We are really excited by the introduction of this aircraft, which will add 31 percent more seats per flight and create an incomparable in-flight experience for our passengers.”

Qantas Airways is a global air carrier with more than 200 aircraft offering service to 140 destinations in 37 countries. Founded in 1920, Qantas Airways celebrates 54 years of continuous flying between North America and Australia. Offering more non-stop flights to Australia and New Zealand than any other carrier, Qantas provides convenient connections from its gateways in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Honolulu. For more information about Qantas Airways, please visit qantas.com/us.

(Business Wire)

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