Qantas plans 19-hour direct flight from Perth to London

Qantas reveals the possibility of a 19-hour non-stop flight between Perth and London, with chief executive Alan Joyce saying the airline could be servicing the 14,000km route as soon as 2017.

The flight is made possible by the new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, which will soon be a part of the Qantas fleet. Mr Joyce told Air Transport world, “The 787-9 has the range to operate such a route. This opens up direct service from Australia to Europe for the first time.”

Qantas currently has eight 787-9 aircraft on order, to replace its ageing 747 jumbo jets.

If plans come to fruition, this 19-hour flight will become the longest commercial flight in the world. Qantas already flies the longest route in the world (by distance) with its Sydney to Dallas-Fort Worth service, a 13,800-kilometre flight that takes around 14 hours to complete.

The 787-9 will reportedly be fitted out with an exclusive crew rest area, and gives passengers access to plenty of connections at either end of the trip. While it remains to be seen if customers will be willing to sit on a plane for 19 hours, it does open exciting possibilities for those visiting Europe.

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