We did our internship at the headquarters of

Qantas Airways Limited. This Australian

airliner is based in Sydney, Australia and

their headquarters is located close to the

Sydney International Airport. We worked at

the Flight Operations Department. This part

of the airline does everything from route

assessment to crew scheduling and flight

dispatch. The assignments we got were very

diverse. They originated from projects our

supervisors worked on. We were very free in

the choice of projects and our input was

appreciated. This meant that sometimes you

could work closely with a colleague and

sometimes you had to work by yourself.

Usually we had to work with a computer.

Here are some examples of the work we did

at Qantas:

• On route terrain height assessment

using digital maps of the earth

• Development of the Planning Tomorrow

Today Tool (optimizing payload)

• Analyses of the arrival fuel allowance

into Singapore with the A380, B747

and A330

• Engine Selection for a new aircraft type

When you work for an airline there are some

perks. We got a full tour of the A380 and

when the Boeing 787 visited Qantas for a

promotional tour we were lucky enough to

see this aircraft as well.

Australia is a very westernized country with

large influences from the United Kingdom

and the United States of America. There-

fore it will not give you a culture shock.

What it will give you is a very welcoming

environment where people are friendly,

good weather all year round for Dutch

standards and a huge amount to see and

do. Going to Australia also involves building

up a social life from almost no connections.

This experience will definitely broaden

your horizon!

• Summer time: Sydney is a great place

to be visiting during the summer. Since Australia is in

the Southern hemisphere summer starts around October and ends around April.

• Accommodation: A good website to find accommodation is: www.gumtree.com.au

This is a popular website with plenty of rooms for rent. It is advisable to inspect the

room you want to rent before paying or signing a contract.

• Public transport to work: The Qantas buildings are very close to a train/subway

station and with a train every 10 minutes it’s an easy way to travel. You don’t get any

student discounts though.

• Beaches & Events: Sydney has several attractive features. The most obvious are the

beaches. Sydney also has multiple events that are worth visiting. Of course NYE on the

31st of December is an event that you cannot miss when you are in Sydney.

Australia Day on the 26st of January is also a great event!

When you’re half way across the world the

first people you will meet will be your new

colleagues and housemates. Logically they

will be the people that will kickstart your

social life and it will all go from there.

In your spare time you will definitely not be

bored in Sydney. With its many beautiful

beaches, bars, café’s and clubs there is al-

ways something going on.

The city is also close to an area called the

Blue Mountains, which is a beautiful place

to spend a day or two. Other possible

activities include a visit to a performance

in the famous Opera House, sailing around

the harbor, surfing in Bondi or attending

a proper Aussie style BBQ. If you have a

car available Jervis Bay, which is a little bit

to the south of Sydney, is the place to go.

It is a popular holiday destination for the

Australians and it is great for checking out

(marine) wildlife and enjoying the beautiful

beaches.

INTERNSHIP

BEREND HOOGENDIJK & JAAP DE LAAT, AE - QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITEDFLIGHT OPERATIONS IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

THE EXPERIENCE

TIPS & TRICKS

LEISURE TIME