Article from BTNews 26 MARCH 2018
Perth non-stop lift-off
The first scheduled non-stop flight between Heathrow and Perth was in the air this morning, Monday, 26 March, as Qantas neared completion of the second leg of its history-making service between England and Australia. See also BTN 5 March Britain to Australia non-stop by air.
The inbound service arrived at Heathrow at 05:05 yesterday, Sunday, with Flight QF9 completing the 14,498km (9,009mi) journey in just over 17hr. The Dreamliner, with more than 200 passengers and 16 crew, had left Perth at 18:49 local time on Saturday.
The return trip left Heathrow at 13:15, 8hr after arriving, with Qantas stressing the Dreamliner’s improved air quality, lower cabin noise and special lighting as ways to alleviate any perceived discomfort from ultra-long-haul travel.
Dreamliners for the non-stop route have 236 seats, far fewer than the 300 in competitors’ aircraft, with 42 flat-bed convertibles in Business Class, 28 seats in Premium Economy and 166 in Economy.
Some of the passengers have agreed to share data on their sleeping and activity patterns with researchers from the University of Sydney.
The flight is the world's second-longest after Qatar Airways' route from Doha to Auckland, which covers 14,529km (9,028mi), according to the International Air Transport Association.
Other carriers, including Emirates and United Airlines, have also flown non-stop journeys greater than 14,000km.
• Qantas CEO Alan Joyce is guest speaker at the Aviation Club in London tomorrow, Tuesday.
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