13th December 2016 Direct flights from Europe to Australia starting in 2018 Airline operator Qantas will begin offering the first non-stop flights between Europe and Australia using the 787-9 Dreamliner.
Qantas has announced it will operate non-stop flights between London and Perth using the 787-9 Dreamliner. The 9,008 mile (14,498 km) service will be the first regular passenger service to directly link Australia with Europe when it begins in March 2018. Qantas Group CEO, Alan Joyce, said the history-making route would be a watershed for travel, tourism and trade: "When Qantas created the Kangaroo Route to London in 1947, it took four days and nine stops. Now, it will take just 17 hours from Perth non-stop. This is a game-changing route flown by a game-changing aircraft. Australians have never had a direct link to Europe before, so the opportunities this opens up are huge. It's great news for travellers because it will make it easier to get to London. It's great news for Western Australia because it will bring jobs and tourism. And it's great news for the nation, because it will bring us closer to one of our biggest trade partners and sources of visitors."
On such a long duration flight, passenger comfort was a key consideration, said Mr Joyce: "When we designed the interior of our 787s, we wanted to make sure passengers would be comfortable on the extended missions the aircraft was capable of. That's why we have features in our Economy seats that other airlines reserve for Premium Economy. Our Business Suite has been nicknamed 'mini First class' by many of our frequent flyers. And we're redesigning our onboard service to help reduce jetlag," he added. In addition to enhanced cabin and seating design, other comfort factors include better air quality, a lower cabin noise and state-of-the-art technology to help reduce turbulence, providing a smoother flight. Passengers have instant access to thousands of hours of entertainment onboard, along with larger baggage lockers and bigger windows. The windows in the Dreamliner are 65% larger than comparable aircraft windows, allowing passengers to see more of the world. Thanks to a lighter carbon fibre body, pioneering GEnx engines and other advanced onboard systems, the Dreamliner also uses less fuel – an impressive 20% less than a similarly-sized aircraft.
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The direct route will appeal to travellers on the East Coast, as well as West Australians, helping to deliver a tourism boost, said Mr Joyce: "A direct flight makes travelling to Australia a much more attractive proposition to millions of people. We expect many travellers from Europe will start their time in Australia with a visit to Perth before going on to see other parts of the country. Our modelling shows that people from the East Coast – as well as Southern Australia – would fly domestically to Perth to connect to our non-stop London service. Some will take the opportunity to break their journey, whether it's for business meetings in Perth, to holiday or to visit family." The new flight will operate through Qantas' existing domestic terminals (T3/4), which will be upgraded to accommodate international flights. The airline's current international services from Perth (to Singapore and to Auckland) will also move to this terminal, helping to simplify the journey for thousands of people every year. Qantas will move its operations to an expanded Terminal 1 at Perth Airport by 2025. Seats on the Perth-London flights will go on sale in April 2017 for the first services in March 2018. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners used on this route will carry 236 passengers across Business, Premium Economy and Economy cabins. ---
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