Never before has there been a non-stop scheduled flight between Australia and Europe – until now: Flight QF9 will connect Perth and London without a stopover. It is one of the longest scheduled flights in the world.
Flight QF9 took off from Perth on the west coast of Australia at 6.49 pm. Around five in the morning it landed at London-Heathrow – after about 17 hours in the air. During this time, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner from Qantas Airways has covered 14,498 kilometres without a stopover.
The first non-stop scheduled flight between Australia and Europe marks a “historic day for aviation,” says Qantas CEO Alan Joyce. He recalled the first Qantas connection to London in 1947: At that time the journey had taken four days, nine stops had been necessary.
Measured by the distance on the earth’s surface, this is the second longest scheduled flight in the world. The only longer connection between Auckland and Doha is the 14,529 km offered by Qatar Airways. Measured by flight distance, Air India declares its flight from Delhi to San Francisco with 15,300 kilometers as the longest scheduled flight in the world.
With this connection passengers save three hours of travel time, which would otherwise be required for stops in Singapore or the Emirates, for example. The 787-9 Dreamliner, which is twice as fuel efficient as a Boeing 747, has been equipped with technology designed to ensure better air quality and a quieter cabin. In addition, the capacity of the aircraft was reduced from 300 to 236 seats to provide more legroom.
