Qantas is targeting the world's longest nonstop flight.
Australia's flag carrier has announced ambitious plans to offer direct service from eastern Australia to Europe and the U.S. East Coast within the next five years.
According to USA Today, Qantas hopes to connect Sydney and London in just 20 hours and 20 minutes as well as taking passengers from New York to Sydney in about 18 hours.
"We want to offer direct flights to Europe not only from Perth but from the eastern states as well," Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said in a statement discussing Friday's full-year earnings results. "That's why I'm pleased to announce that Qantas will challenge Boeing and Airbus to deliver an aircraft capable of flying regular direct services like Sydney-London, Brisbane-Paris and Melbourne-New York nonstop with a full payload by 2022," he added.
"This is a last frontier in global aviation."
Joyce has written both companies' CEOs and says the manufacturers are currently working on aircraft models capable of completing the historic distances.
"Both manufacturers are developing aircraft that can almost do the job-the Boeing 777X and the Airbus A350ULR. We believe advances in the next few years will close the gap, and Qantas has the unique operational experience to be the airline that helps make it happen."
While there's certainly little appeal to a 20-plus-hour flight, a nonstop option would shave away significant travel time and eliminate the risk of unforeseen delays, providing passengers additional time to spend at their destination as well as fewer headaches along the way.
The long-haul routes could be especially beneficial for business travelers.
"A direct flight would cut up to four hours of travel time off a journey to London," Joyce added. "Removing the need to stop mid-way means your journey is uninterrupted. Less chance for delays on the ground; more time watching movies and sleeping. And a faster trip door to door."
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Dubbed "Project Sunrise" in honor of the airline's double sunrise flights across the Indian Ocean during World War II, the undertaking could not only produce the longest direct flights in history but open up new possibilities for future nonstop routes.
In the meantime, Qantas is set to begin offering direct service from Perth, Australia to London next year. The 17-hour flight will cover more than 9,000 miles and will immediately become one of the longest regularly scheduled flights in the world.
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