39 Facts About Ansett Australia

Ansett Australia was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne, Australia.

Reg Ansett Australia countered by establishing an airline, as aviation was under control of the federal government and beyond the reach of the state government.

Ansett Australia Airways remained a big player as ANA and TAA battled for supremacy in the 1940s and 1950s.

Ansett Australia operated around the big two, maintaining budget-fare interstate operations with DC-3s and later Convair CV-340s previously operated by Braniff International Airways in the United States.

The airline was backed up by extensive road transport operations, including Ansett Australia Freight Express and Ansett Australia Pioneer Coaches, as well as the Ansair coach-building operation.

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Ansett Australia's bid had a number of financial supporters, most prominent of these being the Shell Oil Company.

Reg Ansett Australia then set out to ensure no other competitors could rise up to challenge his airline.

Ansett Australia took control of Adelaide-based Guinea Airways and Sydney-based Butler Air Transport.

Ansett Australia then flew the employees to a general meeting in Sydney and forced a vote in favour of selling out to Ansett.

Ansett Australia was concerned about his airline's ability to finance equivalent jet aircraft, and the major engineering leap required to go from an all-piston fleet direct to pure jet aircraft, TAA had been operating prop-jet Vickers Viscounts since 1954, so had expertise in jet technology.

Ansett Australia was successful in convincing the government to authorise the importation of more Viscounts and the new Lockheed L-188 Electra, marketed as the "Golden Jet" as with other turboprop airliners of the day.

An unusual feature of Ansett Australia's operations was the flying-boat service from Rose Bay in Sydney to Lord Howe Island.

Ansett Australia lost control of the company to Peter Abeles' TNT and Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation in 1979, with Abeles taking operational control of the airline.

Ansett Australia paid millions of dollars for the right to be official airline of the Sydney 2000 Olympics, an investment generally regarded as unwise.

In 1984, Ansett Australia was embroiled in controversy after it banned HIV-positive individuals from travelling on their planes to protect their staff.

Ansett Australia expanded into New Zealand in 1987 through its subsidiary Ansett Australia New Zealand after the government of New Zealand opened its skies to the airline.

Ansett Australia then had to divest itself of Ansett New Zealand to avoid creating a monopoly.

Ansett Australia commenced international service on 11 September 1993 to Bali, followed by Osaka and Hong Kong in 1994, Jakarta on 12 January 1996, and Shanghai on 8 June 1997.

In February 2000, Air New Zealand acquired full ownership of Ansett Australia, buying out News Corporation's stake for A$680 million, surpassing Singapore Airlines's A$500 million bid.

Additionally, Ansett Australia's fleet had been allowed to deteriorate, a situation that came to a head with a partial grounding of its Boeing 767 fleet during the Christmas 2000 season and a full grounding in Easter 2001.

Ansett Australia was thus unable to compete with the low-cost carriers and Qantas, which were able to run at a loss on some routes, as they could not maintain revenue while cutting their costs, which included laying off staff.

Ansett Australia was essentially in "lock down" mode, while the administrators tried to source buyers in a very challenging market.

In November 2001, Ansett Australia creditors voted to allow the Tesna consortium, led by Melbourne businessmen Solomon Lew and Lindsay Fox, to purchase Ansett Australia's mainline assets.

Laid-off Ansett Australia workers were eventually paid most of their entitlements, partly from an A$150 million compensation package offered by Air New Zealand in return for having the ASIC inquiry dropped, but mostly through asset sales and leasing revenue.

In June 2011, it was announced that the Special Employee Entitlements Scheme for Ansett Australia employees had finished making payments to former staff and the administration of Ansett Australia had come to an end.

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Ansett Australia Flying Boat Services operated the Consolidated PBY Catalina, Short Sandringham and Short Sunderland.

One of the most unusual aircraft that was operated by Ansett Australia was the Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvair from the 1960s.

Ansett Australia offered up to three cabin classes in varied seat configurations throughout its 66-year run.

Ansett Australia operated to many destinations in Australia and Asia prior to its collapse in 2001.

On 30 March 1999 Ansett Australia joined the Star Alliance, a global network of carriers, opening up interline agreements with a dozen different carriers connecting to over 100 countries across the world.

Ansett Australia offered travellers a range of services up to the time of 14 September 2001:.

Ansett Australia ran international Golden Wing Clubs at Sydney and Perth, with an added "First Class" section of the Sydney Club for those travelling International First Class from 1994 to 1998.

Ansett Australia offered a limousine service, for those wishing to hire for journeys to and from the airport to the CBD in Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

An Ansett Australia bus operated the shuttle service which departed from a transfer lounge located between its two domestic concourses.

Ansett Australia was one of the major sponsors of the Australian Football League, holding the naming rights to the AFL pre-season competition, the Ansett Australia Cup.

Ansett Australia's logo appeared on all players' training and game shirts, as well as around the boundary and on the field during Test Series.

Since Qantas's Take over of Australian Airlines in 1992, Ansett acquired the rights to selective sponsorship of various teams involved in the Australian Touring Car Championship and Seven Networks commentary team between various airports close to racing venues around Australia from 1994 to Ten Network's takeover of V8 Supercar Series AVESCO launched the new series in 1997, but the insignia remained on various cars until Ansett folded in 2001.

Ansett Australia sponsored the soap opera Neighbours in the late 1980s, having previously received publicity when its aircraft were used in the filming of another production by Reg Grundy — 1977's ABBA: The Movie.

Ansett Australia often sponsored Channel 9's Nightline late night news program from 1994 to 1997.