Qantas marks 90 years in S'pore, its first international destination

The Republic is now its largest operation and busiest global port outside Australia

- Vanessa Paige Chelvan

Australian flag carrier Qantas marks its 90th year in Singapore on April 17.

Singapore was Qantas' first international destination and remains "more important to Qantas than ever", said Mr Nick McGlynn, the airline's executive vice-president for Asia.

On April 17, 1935, a four-engine DH86 aircraft carrying two passengers landed at Kallang Airport.

"It is incredible to think that the Flying Kangaroo has been here in Singapore for nine decades, launching operations before the start of World War II," Mr McGlynn said.

The gruelling first journey from Brisbane took 3½ days, and the flight made 16 stops along the way, including in Queensland, the Northern Territory and Rambang in Indonesia.

The carrier operates 50 flights a week between Singapore and six cities: Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and London. Flights to Darwin, the newest destination, began in March.

The addition of extra flights to Sydney, Brisbane and Darwin has made Singapore the largest Qantas operation — and its busiest international port — outside Australia.