Non-stop flights from London to Sydney have moved a step closer to reality, after the Australian airline Qantas revealed it is making a decision about which ultra-long-range jets to purchase for the job.
Qantas is aiming to close the ‘tyranny of distance’ between Australia and financial centres around the world, such as London, by 2022.
The first step in this plan is deciding between the Boeing 777X and Airbus A350 to fly the route, which is expected to take around 20 hours and 20 minutes to complete.
It will not be the first non-stop flight between the UK and Australia. Earlier this year, Qantas launched non-stop flights between London and Perth on Australia’s west coast. This journey takes around 18 hours to complete, and another flight from Perth to Sydney takes an additional four hours.
Depending on how many aircraft Qantas orders, other potential routes include London to Melbourne or Brisbane, as well as flights from Paris, Frankfurt, and New York.
Although these ultra-long-haul flights are aimed primarily at business travellers, and are generally more expensive than a flight that stops along the way, they would provide backpackers with improved travel options – especially those in a hurry.