The RAAF has the planes to get Australians to safety now that Qantas flights have been cancelled. Foreign Minister Penny Wong says a number of flights will take off from Tel Aviv on Sunday. The news comes after two of three QANTAS flights scheduled repatriation departures were cancelled due to security concerns.
Seems it wasn’t safe for the premier Australian airline, QANTAS, to land, but a QATAR Boeing 777-300ER could bring 222 passengers back home to Sydney.
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia and its largest airline by fleet size, international flights and international destinations. It is the world’s third-oldest airline still in operation, having been founded in November 1920 it began international passenger flights in May 1935. Qantas is an acronym of the airline’s original name, Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services, as it originally served Queensland and the Northern Territory, and is popularly nicknamed “The Flying Kangaroo”, and has slogans such as “You’re the reason we fly”, “The Spirit of Australia”. “I still call Australia Home”, and “Fly with Australia’s most popular airline”.
Just rhetoric compared with their forefathers in WW2!
This book by Jim Eames is fast paced and very readable. It tells the story of Australian heroes of WW2 that have been forgotten. In fact the fight to have QANTAS staff recognised in the same way as the Australian Merchant Marine failed, with only a few senior people honoured. I am not surprised just disappointed.
“Between 1942 and 1943, Qantas lost eight aircraft during its involvement in Australia’s war against the Japanese. Over sixty passengers and crew died as a result. Yet Qantas’ exemplary contribution to Australia’s war effort and the courage of its people in those difficult times has been forgotten.
Courage in the Skies is the remarkable story of Qantas at war and the truly heroic deeds of its crew and ground staff as the Japanese advanced towards Australia. Flying unarmed planes through war zones and at times under enemy fire, the airline supplied the front lines, evacuated the wounded and undertook surprising escapes, including carrying more than forty anxious civilians on the last aircraft to leave besieged Singapore.” (From the publisher)
Twenty QANTAS staff died or were missing and another ten were lost flying for the RAAF during the war and were responsible for saving countless lives assisting KLM repatriate Dutch Citizens from the Dutch East Indies following the Japanese invasion. Flights continued up until their bases were overrun. The same was repeated in New Guinea where eighteen rescue flights flew into Mount Hagen. For those who are unaware Mount Hagen is still one of the most dangerous landings in the world. A far cry from the QANTAS efforts of today isn’t it.
This is a great book as it brings to light a forgotten tale of Australian heroism. I thoroughly recommend it. I picked mine up from a Thrift shop, but it is readily available in Australian discount bookshops.
