1965 - First Direct Flight from the United States to Sydney

Source: Anon. 1965. "End of the big hop". The Daily Telegraph, March 9: 17. 

Did you know that this month is sixty years since the first non-stop flight by a commercial jet from the United States to Australia? It was now possible for Australians to fly from Australia to the United States and vice versa without having to stop en route in either direction. It wold mark a significant milestone for Australian aviation

The first non-stop flight did not carry passengers. It was a delivery flight for Qantas who were accepting delivery of a Boeing 707 jet, named the City of Townsville.

To save petrol, the jet was towed to the runway at San Francisco International Airport, where it departed on March 6 1965. Due to crossing the international dateline (adding one day heading west), it landed at Sydney Airport on March 8 1965.

Flight time was 14 hours and 32 minutes, impressive when compared with the 13 hours and 20 minutes used by more prominent and more advanced jets. 

In 2025, flight times (non-stop) to American Cities flying from Sydney Airport are as follows.

Sydney - San Francisco:              13h, 20 min

Sydney - Los Angeles:                 13 h, 40 min

Sydney - Dallas:                           15 hours

Sydney - Houston:                        15 h, 35 min

Qantas introduced non-stop flights from Sydney to Los Angeles in 1984. when Boeing 747 jets could carry a full load of passengers across the Pacific without stopping. They had to use a smaller variant (747SP) which was designed to cover greater distances than other 747 jets operating at the time. 

 

Source: Anon. 1965. "First Flight Non-stop Over Pacific". The Sydney Morning Herald, March 10: 8.

1974: TAA build another new terminal at Sydney Airport

Last week, I published an entry on the opening of the Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) Terminal at Sydney Airport in 1962.

In the years following the opening of the terminal, growth in jet travel exploded along with the introduction of new innovations in airport design and travel meant that TAA needed to build a new terminal to cater for passenger growth and provide modern facilities for passengers.

In December 1974, TAA opened a new terminal to the north of its 1962 Terminal Building curving around Shiers Avenue. It was three times bigger than the previous terminal building.

Facilities included:

• Five aerobridges - Passengers no longer had to worry about walking across the Tarmac to board their flight.
• Faster baggage collection and handling systems
• Escalators to departure lounges
• Electronic Information Boards
• Special Group Convention Lounge
• Shops (Newsagent and snack bar), Restaurant and Bar

The now former 1962 terminal building was handed over to East-West Airlines. 

Part of the terminal still remains as part of the Qantas (T3) Terminal, home to Gates 16 and 17 as this recent image from Google Maps shows.

 

COVID-19 Restrictions have meant that I cannot locate media coverage of the actual opening from the Microfiche reels, but I have included a newsreel (top of page) with this entry but also a newspaper advertisement that was promoting the new terminal from mid 1974. It is likely that a follow-up entry will occur at a future date.

Source: Trans Australia Airlines (TAA). 1974. "For business travellers - TAA flying ahead" (Advertisement). The Daily Telegraph, May 6: 19. 

1962: TAA Terminal opens at Sydney Airport

Source: Trans Australia Airlines. 1962. "TAA opens new, Jet-Age Sydney Airport Terminal" (Advertisement). The Daily Mirror, May 16 1962: 14. 

Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) was an airline established by the Federal Government in 1946 to operate domestic passenger services within Australia. It operated under this name until 1986 when it was renamed Australian Airlines and was merged with Qantas in 1993.

In 1962, TAA undertook a significant upgrade of its terminal at Sydney Airport at a cost of £150 000 ($300 000) which doubled the space of the terminal and improved passenger comfort and capacity. The new layout separated departures from arrivals along with an upgraded baggage handling system. Passengers waiting for flights could purchase a meal, snack or drink from a coffee shop or buffet. In addition there was an airconditioned dining room for passengers and visitors awith a flight deck to view arriving or departing aircraft.

Also the new terminal had a new phone service where passengers could be paged and receive phonecalls at points located around the terminal.

Above: The 1962 TAA Terminal Building as viewed from above on Google Maps, which is currently part of the Qantas (T3) Terminal. 

The Terminal was located in what is now the southern end of the T3 (Qantas) Terminal. In 1974, the terminal was handed over to East-West Airlines after TAA opened a new terminal next to the building on its northern side. However it was intergrated into the T3 Terminal. Gates 18 and 19 are located at the rear of the building.