Qantas welcomed home Australia’s winning Olympic team, the most successful ever, at a huge reception in a hangar at Kingsford Smith Airport, Sydney, this morning.

The flight, which touched down at Sydney Airport about 6.50am, was greeted by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the athletes’ families, Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson and the Qantas choir.

“You are particularly an inspiration to us all,” Hudson said. Qantas, the official carrier of the 2024 Australian Olympic and Paralympic Teams, had the Boeing 787 Dreamliner charter flight emblazoned with a ‘GO AUSTRALIA’ message in green and gold on either side. And there was plenty of gold onboard too with Australia taking home a total of 18 gold, 19 silver and 16 bronze for a grand tally of 53 medals.

Among the silver medal winners was Noah Havard, brother of Travel Weekly features and social media editor Zach Havard. Zach’s brother picked up silver as part of the men’s k4 500 crew which were just edged out of gold.

After living it up in business flying direct from Paris to Perth, Noah Havard and the rest of the east coast contingent landed early Wednesday morning to a pumping party in the Qantas hangar.

“The Qantas party this morning really tops off an amazing three weeks,” Havard said.

“The hanger was packed with a solid media scrum and the Qantas Choir performing as we exited the plane.”

Australia’s Olympic athletes stopped over in Perth. Image courtesy Zach Harvard

A selection of medal winners were gifted business seats for the return including Australia’s double gold medallist, Jessica Fox, who was sat in seat 1A!

Havard was part of the Australian men’s k4 500 team which won silver last week in Paris, narrowest pipped by the German team for gold by 0.04 of a second.

“That achievement is a huge reward for the efforts of our team and coaching staff over the past three-year training block,” he continued.

He and his team (consisting of Riley Fitzsimmons, Pierre Van Der Westhuyzen and Jackson Collins) will now enjoy some time off before recouping for Australian Surf Life Saving season.

Qantas CEO Hudson said the whole Olympic team effort was an inspiration.

“I know that there are so many kids jumping off their seat to go to the pool, to the track, to jump on a BMX, to jump in a canoe,” said Hudson in her welcome home speech. “I just can’t say enough, as a mother of two myself, just what an example that you have been.

“At Qantas, we are so incredibly proud, proud to be able to fly you there and also home again.

“We have been doing this since the end of World War II. So the first one was the London Olympics. But I would say to those who have just arrived, that took four days and nine refuelling stops. So now flying on what is the latest of our new destinations, from Paris to Perth, only 16 hours and then a hop over to Sydney. But we, as well, as I said, couldn’t be more proud.”

Hudson also mentioned several Qantas crew who either have children or partners who competed in the Paris  Olympics.

“We couldn’t be more proud of the job that we do to serve the Australian Olympic team,” she said.

“I would like to say a massive thank you to our crew… our pilots, our cabin crew, our engineers, our airport staff. I can’t tell you how much work goes into making not only this charter possible, but every day the work they do so magnificently to deliver to our customers,:” Hudson said.

The Prime Minister said every athlete who competed was “worth their weight in gold” and had made Australia proud.

“Before the plane took off yesterday, you had already etched your names into Australian sport history.”

With additional reporting by Zach Havard