Qantas resumes plans for ultra long-haul flights
Qantas has announced it will look at resuming plans for ultra long-haul flights before the end of this year.
Qantas has announced it will look at resuming plans for ultra long-haul flights before the end of this year.
The scheme known as “Project Sunrise” will see non-stop flights from Melbourne and Sydney to key international destinations including London, New York, and Paris.
Speaking at the a business summit on Wednesday, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce revealed the airline was two weeks away from ordering the aircraft needed for the flights, when the pandemic struck.
Mr Joyce there was a “huge business case” for the flights, adding that in a post-COVID world the need for non-stop flights “may be even stronger.”
“The number one search flight for international sales is Perth to London, by miles,” he said.
“What this means is people don’t want to stop somewhere to get to Europe.”
Qantas trialled a non-stop flight between London and Sydney in November 2019. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner took 19 hours and 19 minutes to fly 17,750km after taking off from London’s Heathrow Airport.
Flights to international destinations will resume for Qantas in late October.
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