On a stage at the Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, the chief executive of Australian airline Qantas declared: “The tyranny of distance has finally been conquered.” Vanessa Hudson 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 set to take off from October 2027.
The route marks a striking evolution from Qantas’s original Kangaroo route, first flown in 1947. Back then it was an odyssey spanning seven stops and four days. Those stops have been gradually reduced; today Qantas stops once in Singapore. Now, using specially designed ultra-long-haul Airbus planes, the airline expects to shave about four hours off the current journey time, with the flight lasting around 22 hours.
“Qantas announces non-stop London-Sydney flight from October 2027, a 22-hour journey shaving four hours off the current route.”
Some analysts say the breakthrough is a major milestone in aviation history. But the question lingers: is it really what people want?
Qantas has overcome challenges to get this far and still faces others. The flight saves money on landing fees by eliminating a stop, but Hudson admits the longer flight carries 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, Qantas has increased legroom in economy and created a dedicated “wellness” space where passengers can follow stretching exercises on a screen.
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 is among the fans. The 41-year-old has taken the roughly 18-hour Perth to London flight a couple of times, including with her husband and two children, and says direct flights are “amazing”. “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. [But] overall, I’m a big fan of the direct flights.”
However, some frequent fliers such as Tom Gill are less interested. The 33-year-old’s views were not fully detailed. Despite that, Hudson remains confident: “We feel really confident that this is going to be a success,” she told the BBC.