Alex Young

About Ansett Airlines

Ansett Australia was a major Australian airline. Headquartered in Melbourne, Ansett was the second-largest Australian airline before its bankruptcy in 2002.

Ansett-Australia was founded by British shipping tycoon Sir Reginald Myles Ansett in 1935 and opened its first route from Hamilton to Melbourne in February 1936.

During World War II, Ansett supported the Allies in Australia by evacuating the city of Darwin from the Japanese bombing in 1942.

In October 1957, Ansett acquired ANA (Australian National Airways) and changed its name to Ansett-ANA, becoming the largest airline in Australia at that time.

In 1961, Ansett's first Boeing 727 entered service, making Ansett the first jetliner operator in Australia.

In 1979, Ansett was taken control by TNT and the News Corporation. Although it prospered in the 1980s, Ansett still performed poorly in many substantial investments.

In the 1990s, Ansett was renamed Ansett-Australia after Australia deregulated its airlines and launched its first international route to Bali in September 1993. However, Ansett has become increasingly burdened with debt due to its aging fleet and severe competition from Qantas and Budget Airlines.

In 2000, Ansett was acquired by Air New Zealand and was eventually declared bankrupt after two years in February 2002, with its last flight completed on March 5, 2002.