In a first: From Australia, Qantas Boeing 787 Dreamliner lands in Britain after 17-hour non-stop flight
The historic Qantas flight QF9 is the first non-stop scheduled flight from Australia to Britain landed after 17 hours in London. The flight departed from Perth at 6.49pm local time on Saturday and landed at London Heathrow at 5.10am UK time today. The total distance was 14,875 km from Perth.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner had more than han 230 passengers and 16 crew on board. This was the first ever commercial passenger jet journey direct between Australia and Europe.
The Boeing 787-9 is twice as fuel-efficient as the Boeing 747. It was airlines plan to add ultra long-haul flights to its schedules. Though,passengers faced some turbulence just after take-off as the place faced Cyclone Marcus, a storm off the west coast of Australia.
Chief Executive Alan Joyce, described the journey as a "game-changer". At flight's inaugural, he said the earliest Qantas flights between Australia and the UK - known as the "kangaroo route" - had taken four days and involved seven stops.
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A momentous occasion on the flight deck of #QF9#QantasDreamliner pic.twitter.com/dRTh79ZxUb
— Qantas (@Qantas) March 24, 2018
Flight QF9's Captain Lisa Norman, one of the four working pilots on board, said: "I would like to welcome you to the history book of aviation.
According to the International Air Transport Association, the flight QF9 is world's second-longest after Qatar Airways' route from Doha to Auckland, which spans 14,529km.
The passenges on board shared their sleeping and activity patterns with researchers from the University of Sydney. They are wearing special monitors and devices that also record mental state, eating patterns and hydration, Sydney's Daily Telegraph reports.
To make passengers feel comfortable, the plane has been equipped with improved air quality and lower cabin noise.
Western Australia's state government hopes to see an increase in tourist numbers as a result of the new direct route.
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First published: 25 March 2018, 11:27 IST