On a stage at the Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson declared: “The tyranny of distance has finally been conquered.” She was in the French city last week to announce the world’s first 20-plus hour flight route – a non-stop service between London and Sydney that is set to take off from October 2027.
The airline first flew what it named the Kangaroo route between the two cities in 1947, an odyssey spanning seven stops and four days. Those stops have been gradually reduced, with Qantas now stopping only once, in Singapore, on the way through. But 80 years after that 1940s venture, the first non-stop flight is expected to last around 22 hours, shaving about four hours off the current journey time using specially designed ultra-long-haul Airbus planes.
“Qantas announces world's first non-stop London to Sydney flight, starting October 2027 and lasting 22 hours.”
The much-anticipated – and delayed – breakthrough comes after a turbulent few years in the airline’s history, and bosses are banking on customers embracing the premium but marathon flight. “We feel really confident that this is going to be a success,” Hudson told the BBC.
Qantas has overcome some challenges to get this far – and still faces others. The flight will save money on landing fees by eliminating a stop, but Hudson admits the longer flight has a higher relative fuel bill. There are also fewer seats, nearly half of which (40%) will be premium economy, business, or first class.
To counter the increased risk of issues such as deep vein thrombosis from flying for such long periods, Qantas has increased the legroom in economy and created a dedicated “wellness” space where passengers can follow stretching exercises on a screen and have a little more room to move about. Hudson points to the success of the Perth to London route, saying “customers have been prepared to pay a premium” for that service.
Australian travel agent Karis Heemskerk, 41, is among the fans. She has taken the roughly 18-hour flight from Perth to London a couple of times, including with her husband and two children, and says being able to fly direct is “amazing” and an efficient use of time. “I think the direct flights cut time and there is no risk of missed connections and the stress of your luggage being lost,” she told the BBC. “Cons are that it can be gruelling and it is a long time for some individuals to be confined to a cabin. Overall, I’m a big fan of the direct flights.”
However, some frequent fliers such as Tom Gill, 33, are less interested.