Qantas Airways is set to connect UK and Australia, through a nonstop flight from March 2018. The airline will fly from Heathrow to Perth using the latest Boeing 787-9 jet.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said in a statement that, Australia has never been a direct link to Europe and this new route is going to be game changing and open up new opportunities. He also added that, when Qantas created the new Kangaroo Route between London and Australia in 1947, it took four days and nine stops. Now it will take just 17 hours to Perth non-stop.
The flight will carry 236 passengers with economy, premium economy and business cabins.
Prices are yet to be announced but tickets will go on sale in April.
The Dreamliner has a cruising speed around 562mph.
Qantas said the Perth-London service — at 9,009 miles (14,498 kilometers) — is expected to be one of the longest passenger flights in the world when it goes live.
Mr Joyce said passenger comfort on the 17-hour flight was a key consideration. He claimed the airline is redesigning their on-board service to help reduce jetlag.
But ultra-long-haul aviation is very expensive. Even a highly efficient aircraft, such as the Boeing 787 “Dreamliner”, has a high fuel burn, and additional staff, including two pairs of pilots are required. Airlines will operate such routes only if they expect strong demand from business travellers and leisure passengers prepared to pay a premium to fly non-stop.
The launch of the route has been delayed by a dispute between the airline and the Western Australian government about who should pay for changes at Perth airport to allow easy transfers to and from the London flight.
Timings for the new link have not been revealed. It is thought there may be an early evening departure from Perth, arriving around noon next day in London, which would allow plenty of time for transfers at either end. The return flight would then take off from Heathrow around 3pm, arriving late afternoon the next day in Perth, in time for onward connections.
