The Australian airline Qantas completed the longest direct scheduled flight in a time of 787 hours and 9 minutes on a flight with a Boeing 19-16 Dreamliner. The aircraft needed that time to cover the 16.200 kilometers between New York and Kingsford Smith Airport near Sydney. 

The plane left Friday from the United States and landed in Sydney on Sunday morning with on board 40 passengers and 10 crew. Both the number of people allowed to join and the number of suitcases were limited to ensure that the test went as well as possible.

Jet lag testing

The crew will undergo a series of tests, such as sleep monitoring, and follow certain methods to help deal with the 15-hour jet lag. Sleep cycles and the alertness of the crew will also be investigated. Qantas will use the results to refine the offer. 

Qantas hopes to start direct passenger flights between New York and Sydney, and London and Sydney in 2022. The longest direct scheduled flight is currently owned by Singapore Airlines. The flight between Singapore and Newark, which is close to New York, takes 18,5 hours.

A350-900ULR

Airbus previously developed a long range version of the A350-900 for Singapore Airlines. This device can also be offered to Qantas, says Lucas Ugena. "We can offer both, then we give Qantas the flexibility to go both ways", she says.

Test flight with 787-9

In anticipation of the arrival of the new aircraft, Qantas is already carrying out the route a number of times. This is done with a Boeing 787-9 that is delivered from the Boeing factory in Seattle. The Dreamliner flies from London with about forty people on board to Sydney. On these flights it must become clear how passengers and crew experience the long flight.

Also read: Saudi budget flyer drops Boeing 737 Max and bets on Airbus A320

Boeing 787-9
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