QANTAS BRINGS THE BRITISH & IRISH LIONS (AND TROPHY) HOME

LONDON, 9 July 2013: Qantas, the official airline of The British & Irish Lions, will deliver the team to a hero’s welcome at London Heathrow tomorrow.

The team departed Sydney International today and are scheduled to arrive at London Heathrow early on Wednesday morning. The flight is operated by Qantas’ flagship A380 aircraft from Sydney to London via its international hub of Dubai.

Qantas Executive Manager International Sales Stephen Thompson said Qantas was proud to carry The British & Irish Lions around Australia and back home.

“Qantas is a long-time supporter of rugby in Australia, and as a global carrier with strong links to Britain and Ireland, Qantas was pleased to support The British & Irish Lions as the official airline partner,” said Mr Thompson.

“Over six weeks, Qantas has carried The Lions, thousands of fans and the hopes of four nations around Australia. It’s been an exciting Tour and we’re pleased to now deliver the champions home to celebrate their win with their family and friends.

“Our flights are extremely busy back to the UK this week as the loyal Lions travelling fan base, the sea of red jerseys, make their way back home. No doubt there will have been some traditional chanting of ‘sweet chariot’ onboard as both the team and fans continue to celebrate all the way home,” added Mr Thompson.

Qantas carried The British & Irish Lions team, management and fans around Australia for the six regional fixtures and three Test matches against the Qantas Wallabies. Matches were played in Perth, Canberra, Newcastle, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

Qantas, in partnership with Microsoft search engine Bing, launched a five episode branded content series, The Mane Event, to coincide with The British & Irish Lions Tour of Australia. The series follows four die hard Lions fans – an Englishman, a Scot, a Welshman and an Irishman – as they travel around Australia taking on local Wallabies fans in a series of somewhat unusual challenges that tested their skill, their determination and above all, their pride. The series is available at www.lionsmaneevent.com. It will also be broadcast on Qantas’ in-flight entertainment system.