Centenary celebrations have kicked off for Australian airline, Qantas. The air carrier marks its 99th birthday tomorrow (Saturday 16th November). But it's not thinking about that. The airline has already begun the 12-month celebration period that will take it to its 100th birthday.

Qantas has begun its 100th-anniversary celebrations. Photo: Qantas

A trio of celebration

As its historic non-stop service from London-Sydney touched down in Australia, the aircraft was met with 1,000 employees from Qantas to commemorate the occasion. The flight was a key achievement in the carrier's 99-year history, but the airline has also announced three celebratory events that start its 100th year.

In honor of its centenary, Qantas will be offering enthusiasts a chance to purchase unique memorabilia and transport themselves into the airline's history.

The airline will showcase its history as part of the celebrations. Photo: Qantas

The air carrier will begin a touring exhibition in early 2020 which will showcase its story as well as reveal its plans for the future. But it hasn't publically revealed dates and locations for the event as of yet.

In addition, Qantas will showcase a special livery on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Longreach is the name of the aircraft that will bear the livery. That's after the town in Queensland that was instrumental in the founding of the airline. Qantas hopes the aircraft will fly to many international destinations sporting the livery as a constant reminder of how far the airline has come. Some of those destinations include Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and London.

Furthermore, Qantas has also produced commemorative $1 coins and kangaroo copper coins in addition to its kangaroo branded hats, bags and t-shirts. Royal Australian Mint will release five million $1 coins to the public in February 2020. Qantas will also offer collectors an 11 piece coin set which will highlight prominent milestones and aircraft in the airline's history.

Commemorative coins are part of Qantas' memorabilia collection. Photo: Qantas

Airline instrumental in the lives of Australians

100 years of service is a grand achievement for the airline, but the Qantas Group CEO said that the celebration was extra special for the opportunity it has afforded Australians. In a statement, Alan Joyce said:

“A lot of Australians saw the world for the first time on a flying kangaroo. And a lot of migrants started their life in Australia when they first stepped on a Qantas plane. There are so many amazing Qantas stories that also tell the story of modern Australia. We want our centenary to be a celebration of those stories..."

Qantas wants to memorialize the impact it's had on its customers, like those who took some of its first flights. Photo: Qantas

But how will Qantas showcase those stories? We're expecting big things.

Today is just the start of the centenary celebrations. We're expecting to hear more about its 747 aircraft retirement and a potential expansion of its Points Plane routes. It's also promised new connections and more innovation in its latest video. But at this point, it's guarding its other plans and we're not sure what else it has in store.

However, this year other airlines also celebrated their 100th anniversary. KLM took more of a modest approach whilst British Airways created a four-part TV series. If Qantas wants to make its mark and really outdo its competition, we'll be expecting unforgettable events in the coming months. We're promised 12 months of celebrations - how do you think it will mark the occasion? Let us know in the comments!