Qantas role re-examined amid high-flying as government rolls out red carpet for foreign airlines

By Matt O'Sullivan
Updated May 5 2015 - 11:08am, first published 12:15am
Relieved Australians board a Qantas 747 jumbo at Cairo International Airport in February 2011. Photo: supplied
Relieved Australians board a Qantas 747 jumbo at Cairo International Airport in February 2011. Photo: supplied
Qantas carried 673 passengers on single 747 flight from Darwin after Cyclone Tracy 1974. Photo: Qantas
Qantas carried 673 passengers on single 747 flight from Darwin after Cyclone Tracy 1974. Photo: Qantas
Qantas delivered supplies and airlifted passengers to Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami. Photo: Qantas
Qantas delivered supplies and airlifted passengers to Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami. Photo: Qantas

Peering out windows into the night sky on February 3, 2011, the Qantas 747's crew felt a mixture of excitement and apprehension as they flew over Cairo.