Qantas eyes non-stop to New York by 2022

Travellers could fly directly to London and New York from Australia’s east-coast within five years, Qantas says.

A Qantas A380 prepares for takeoff in Melbourne. Picture: Nicole Garmston

Travellers could be flying direct­ly from Australia’s east-coast capitals to London and New York within five years, under plans Qantas ­announced today.

Qantas is throwing down the gauntlet to the giant aeroplane makers, ­Europe’s Airbus and the US’s Boeing, to stretch the maximum flight distance of planes being developed to get close to making the super-long-haul distances.

The plan was unveile­d when the flying kangaroo reported its profits today.

The 97-year-old airline wants the flights to be within reach of travellers from Melbourne, Sydney­ and Brisbane by 2022.

Qantas is poised to start direct­ flights from Perth to London­ from next March, using the 787-9 Dreamliner, which will take about 17 hours.

Some experts say not everyone wants to spend so long in the air without a stop, but Qantas research­ suggests travellers consider airports among the most stressful parts of their trips.

A direct flight from Sydney to London would take about 20 hours and 20 minutes, while a direct­ trip from Sydney to New York would take 18 hours and seven minutes.

Airbus and Boeing are working on next-generation aircraft that use advanced materials and design to deliver ultra-long-range distances.