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The first direct flight from Australia to the UK has landed at Heathrow airport after an epic 17-hour flight.

Qantas 9 (QF9) touched down at Terminal Three at 5.02 am (GMT) after setting off from Perth at 7pm local time (11am GMT) on Saturday covering 9,226 miles.

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner took just over 17 hours to complete the journey, arriving slightly earlier than the scheduled arrival time of 5.10am.

The UK's longest non-stop regular passenger flight will set off back for Perth at 1.15 pm local time on Sunday.

The route is almost a quarter longer than the UK's existing longest service, operated by Garuda Indonesia between Heathrow and Jakarta (7,275 miles).

The new link with Perth is around three hours quicker than routes which involve stopping in the Middle East to change planes or refuel.

It also enables faster journeys to Sydney and Melbourne than flying via Dubai.

Western Australia's premier, Mark McGowan, was among more than 200 passengers to arrive on the flight.

He tweeted a picture of the Australian delegation of politicians and officials, the flight's pilots and a didgeridoo player in Aboriginal dress and body paint at the terminal.</s>The first non-stop scheduled flight from Australia to Britain landed in London on Sunday after a 17 hour, five-minute journey across 14,875 km from Perth and QF9 departed Perth at 6.57 p.m.The historic Qantas flight QF9, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with more than 230 passengers and crew on board and has 20 percent better fuel efficiency than similar-sized aircraft, covered the 14,875km.

The landing marked the first commercial passenger jet journey direct between Australia and Europe. After touchdown Captain Lisa Norman, who was one of four working pilots on board, expressed: “I would like to welcome you to the history book of aviation.

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Joyce said the earliest Qantas flights between Australia and the UK – known as the “kangaroo route” – had taken four days and involved seven stops. The flight will be the world’s second-longest after Qatar Airways’ route from Doha to Auckland, which spans 14,529km, according to the International Air Transport Association.

The first non-stop scheduled flight from Australia to Britain landed in London on Sunday after a 17 hour, five-minute journey across 14,875 km from Perth. Passengers did have to endure a period of some turbulence as the plane skirted Cyclone Marcus, a storm off the west coast of Australia, shortly after take-off.</s>Known for operating some of the longest flights in the world, Qantas adds another ultra-long-haul to its flight schedule today when it begins flying non-stop between Perth and London Heathrow.

The new flight is not only the airline’s longest to date, clocking in at 9,010 miles and over 17 hours, but it is also the first regularly scheduled commercial flight linking Australia and Europe non-stop.

The schedule is as follows: Qantas flight QF 9 departs Perth at 6:45pm and arrives at London Heathrow at 5:05am the following morning. Qantas flight QF 10 departs London Heathrow at 1:15pm and arrives back in Perth the next day at 1:00pm. The outbound journey is scheduled at 17 hours, 20 minutes, while the return is 16 hours, 45 minutes.

To fly that distance, Qantas ordered eight Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, and has been taking delivery of these special aircraft since October. It now has enough to begin operating this new route daily, in additional to flights between Melbourne and Los Angeles. The airline will eventually put the jet into service on routes from Melbourne to San Francisco, Brisbane to Los Angeles and as a connecting flight from Los Angeles to New York JFK.

Qantas’s 787-9s include 236 seats total in three classes. Business class comprises two cabins at the front of the jet with 42 seats total. They are laid out in a staggered 1 – 2 – 1 configuration so that every passenger has direct-aisle access. Customized by the airline’s in-house industrial designers, David Caon and Marc Newson, each seat is up to 24 inches wide, has 46 inches of pitch and reclines to an 80-inch fully flat bed. They have 16-inch touchscreen entertainment systems and individual AC and USB power ports.</s>LONDON (AP) — The maiden flight of a new non-stop regular passenger service between Australia and Britain has touched down at London's Heathrow Airport.

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, operated by Qantas Airways, arrived Sunday in London just over 17 hours after setting off from the western Australian city of Perth. Flight-tracking service FlightAware showed the flight time as 17 hours, 14 minutes.

The new link with Perth — a 9,009-mile (4,498-kilometer) journey — is around three hours quicker than routes that involve stopovers in the Middle East to change planes or refuel. It is also set to shorten journeys from London to Sydney or Melbourne, compared with flying via Dubai.

The route is the first regularly scheduled airline route to connect Australia to Europe.

The route is about a quarter more than Britain's previous longest service — 7,275 miles (11,707 kilometers)— which was flying between London and Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia.</s>For Qantas, the Perth connection is a high-profile test for a planned ultra long-haul network that the airline hopes will span the world by 2022.

QANTAS Airways Ltd started direct flights between Australia and London this weekend, passing a major milestone by reducing to 17 hours a trip that once took 12 1/2 days.

Flight QF9, which originated in Melbourne, landed at London Heathrow at 5.02am on Sunday following a 14,498km trip from Perth, according to the UK airport operator's website. The route marks the first non-stop passenger service between the continents, putting Europe's financial centre one night's sleep from the capital of Australia's mineral wealth and the operations of resources companies including BHP Billiton Ltd and Rio Tinto Group.

For Qantas, the Perth connection is a high-profile test for a planned ultra long-haul network that the airline hopes will span the world by 2022. To succeed, the route must defy the boom-and-bust commodities cycle that has preyed on Western Australia. And Qantas needs business travellers to pay up for the shorter, one-hop flight to London rather than make a stop in Asia or the Middle East.

"You have the resources sector on both sides, you have banks, you have lawyers that all want to fly fast and reliably and comfortably," said Rico Merkert, professor of transport and supply-chain management at the University of Sydney's business school. "And I think they're prepared to pay the premium."

Mining companies in Western Australia dig up more than a third of the world's iron ore and bring in some of the largest hauls of gems and rare earths. The sector also supports financial services firms such as Hartleys Ltd, whose Perth-based director of corporate finance Steve Kite was booked on Sunday's flight - the second in the new service to London - for just a four-day trip.

"It's effectively an overnight flight for me and that feels like I'm saving a lot of time," said Mr Kite.

Qantas chief executive officer Alan Joyce is betting he can make money from the daily service by stripping excess weight from a Boeing Co Dreamliner and stacking it with top-tier passengers.

"I don't think anyone at the Qantas side will relax until this touches down in London," Mr Joyce said in Perth before the flight. "This is a major step for aviation, the first time Europe and Australia have had a direct link."

Not everyone is convinced of the route's commercial future.

Aircraft leaving Perth for London will need feeder passengers from around Australia, said Volodymyr Bilotkach, author of the book The Economics of Airlines. But flying from Sydney to London via Perth saves little time over a transfer in Asia or the Gulf, he said.

Andrew McGinnes, a spokesman for Qantas in Sydney, said bookings on the new route "have been strong" and corporate clients in eastern Australia have indicated they'll stop in Perth for meetings on their way to London. "It's a very competitive market but this is a unique flight," Mr McGinnes said.

An analysis of flight times and prices highlights the challenges Qantas faces.

Flying business class from Perth to London with Qantas in mid-June would cost A$6,614 (S$6,702). Opting for Singapore Airlines via Singapore would take an extra 21/2 hours but cost just A$4,843, according to fares on Webjet.

Qantas has challenged Boeing and Airbus to build a jet by 2022 that can fly fully loaded from Sydney to London without a break. Success on the Perth-London service would lay the foundations for even longer routes to Europe.

"It's really just the beginning," said Prof Merkert. BLOOMBERG</s>Qantas launches first direct flight from Australia to London (VIDEO)

MELBOURNE, March 25 — Australia’s first direct flight to the UK took off today from the western city of Perth, cutting flying time roughly three hours by skipping stopovers in Singapore or the Middle East, Qantas officials said.

The 17-hour flight, operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, will touch down in London at 5.05am, having covered a distance of more than 9,000 miles (14,484km).

It is the world’s second-longest flight after a Qatar Airways service between Doha and Auckland that covers 9,028 miles, or just 19 miles more than the stretch from Perth to London.

A Qantas A380 aircraft takes off from Sydney International Airport in this file picture. Australia’s first direct flight to the UK took off today from Perth. — Reuters picThe flight marked a “historic day for aviation”, said airline Chief Executive Alan Joyce.

“From today it will be the first link between Australia and Europe that has ever occurred non-stop in aviation,” he told reporters at a launch event. “We are so excited.”

About 730,000 British tourists visit Australia every year and the new service could boost interest in the state of Western Australia, often overlooked in favour of the country’s east coast, said Tourism Minister Steven Ciobo.

“There will be more opportunity than ever before for us to continue to showcase and highlight all the very best parts of Australia, including some of the most magnificent and iconic parts of Western Australia,” he said.

The service was a “game-changer”, said Mena Rawlings, UK’s high commissioner to Australia.

“To have the opportunity to get on a plane at Heathrow and step out in Perth is just phenomenally exciting and I’m sure we are going to see lots and lots of people taking advantage of that.”

Before the new service, the longest flight to Britain was a journey of 7,275 miles between Heathrow and Jakarta, operated by Garuda Indonesia, the national carrier.

Qantas plans to introduce non-stop flights from Australia’s east coast to Britain in the next few years. — Reuters</s>DUBLINER Alan Joyce has described the first non-stop flight from Australia to Britain as a 'major milestone' for global aviation.

The Irishman, who is CEO of Qantas Group, was one of the passengers on the airline's inaugural flight which landed this morning at Heathrow.

Qantas’ first Perth to London flight carryied more than 200 passengers and 16 crew.

It left Perth just before 7pm on Saturday evening and landed in London at 5am today.

The history-making QF9 was operated by a Boeing 787-9.

“This is a truly historic flight that opens up a new era of travel. For the first time, Australia and Europe have a direct air link,” said Mr Joyce.

“The original Kangaroo Route from Australia to London was named for the seven stops it made over four days back in 1947. Now we can do it in a single leap."

The new flight, which takes a total of 17 hours, is expected to boost tourism.

“The response to the flight has been amazing, both for the attention it’s received since we announced it and the bookings we’ve seen coming in.

"It’s great for Australian tourism, for business travellers and for people visiting friends and family on both sides of the world.”

Th aircraft comes with a number of features to help make passengers as comfortable as possible during the flight.

Mr Joyce said: “Boeing designed the Dreamliner with features to reduce jetlag, turbulence and noise.

"We’ve taken that a step further with our cabin design, giving passengers more space in every class as well as bigger entertainment screens and more personal storage."

Qantas also work with the University of Sydney and consulting chef Neil Perry to create a menu to help the body cope better with jetlag.

The Perth to London flight is operated by four pilots across the 17-hour journey, with one or two pilots resting at any one time.

At 14,498km, QF9 is the third longest commercial flight currently in operation.</s>The first scheduled non-stop flight between Australia and the UK has touched down in London’s Heathrow Airport.

 Qantas Flight QF9 completed its 14,498km (9,009-mile) journey from Perth in just over 17 hours.

 The airline is using the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which is twice as fuel-efficient as the Boeing 747.

 It is part of ambitious plans by Qantas to add ultra long-haul flights to its schedules.

 The Australian flag carrier’s Chief Executive, Alan Joyce, has called the new Perth-London service a “game-changing route”.

Speaking at an event ahead of the inaugural flight, he said the earliest Qantas flights between Australia and the UK – known as the “kangaroo route” – had taken four days and involved seven stops.

Western Australia’s state government is also hoping to see an increase in tourist numbers as a result of the new direct route.

 The historic flight, carrying more than 200 passengers and 16 crew, departed from Perth at 18:49 local time on Saturday.

To minimise the discomfort of such a long flight, the plane is equipped with features that provide improved air quality and lower cabin noise.

 Some of the passengers agreed to share data on their sleeping and activity patterns with researchers from the University of Sydney.</s>LONDON — Qantas has today completed their first direct service between Perth and London Heathrow, which marks yet another achievement in the aviation industry.

QFA9, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in question departed Perth at 7:00 pm local time Saturday, March 24th and arrived into Heathrow at 04:10 am Zulu time on Sunday, March 25th.

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VH-ZND is the first 787-9 Dreamliner in the fleet to complete this flight and when it touched down at Heathrow, it sported its special Yam Dreaming Livery.

Before the flight departed Perth, the airport’s CEO Kevin Brown was questioned by members of the press regarding this event and this is what he said:

“This really is a moment in history for Perth Airport and for Western Australia. It’s incredibly important that we make a great first impression on visitors to our State and also give them a warm farewell when they leave. Teams have been working almost around the clock to ensure that today’s launch goes smoothly and that we continue to set a high standard for all international flights to and from bother our international terminals.

QF9 carried 200 passengers with 16 members of flight crew with a flight time between 16-18 hours in the air.

The daily QF9 flight originally begins in Melbourne so then that fliers can connect to London via Perth due to the adjusted timetables provided by Qantas in their operations on flights from Adelaide, Sydney, and Brisbane respectively.

READ MORE: Qantas Receives its Second Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, Launches New Route in 2018

This new flight gives fliers the opportunity to choose from three different methods of getting to London. Passengers can use the direct London service from Perth, the recently reinstated Sydney-Singapore-London service on the A380 or via Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth to London via the stopover in Dubai using the mixture of A380 and 777 Aircraft with Emirates.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce, who was one of the passengers on the inaugural flight, described it as a major milestone for Australia as well as global aviation:

“This is a truly historic flight that opens up a new era of travel. For the first time, Australia and Europe have a direct air link. The original Kangaroo Route from Australia to London was named for the seven stops it made over four days back in 1947. Now we can do it in a single leap. The response to the flight has been amazing, both for the attention it’s received since we announced it and the bookings we’ve seen coming in. It’s great for Australian tourism, for business travelers and for people visiting friends and family on both sides of the world.”

READ MORE: Qantas Receives its First Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (+Photos)

In addition, the airline provided members of the press nine special facts about QFA9:
• QF9 is operated by four pilots across the 17-hour journey, with one or two pilots resting at any one time.
• The flight will follow different flight paths depending on the best winds, helping the aircraft fly faster and more efficiently. Qantas analyzed a decade of seasonal wind patterns in preparation for the new service.
• At 14,498km, QF9 is the third longest commercial flight currently in operation. It is the world’s longest Dreamliner flight.
• QF9 will carry around 92 tonnes or 110,000 liters of fuel with the Dreamliner burning approximately 20 percent less than traditional aircraft its size.
• With a total seat count of 236 passengers, the Qantas Dreamliner has significantly fewer seats than many other airlines who have configured the same aircraft to carry more than 300 passengers
• Currently, most aircraft have cabin air pressure equivalent to that of an altitude of 8,000 ft. For the Dreamliner, Boeing cut that down to 6,000 ft, meaning it’s closer to conditions on the ground.
• Menus for the flights between Perth and London have been designed to maintain hydration, aid sleep and reduce jetlag and include poke bowls as well as home-style comfort food.
• There are more than 21,000 individual items loaded onto the aircraft for each flight between Perth and London including 330 peppermint tea bags and hundreds of chocolate biscuits.
• In 1947 a return flight from Sydney to London cost £525 when the average wage was £7. Today, the average Australian weekly wage is $1600 and a return fare from Perth to London can cost less than $1300.

What does this all mean now for the industry?

This flight is a significant success for the industry for many reasons. For Qantas, they have been able to complete something that has been in the pipeline for many years and has been significantly harder to do due to previous aircraft types not having the distance to do so.

With newer aircraft such as the 787-9 Dreamliner having the range to do these flights, it also puts Boeing in good stead to prospective customers who want to launch far longer flights such Emirates who have ordered the 787-10.

As this flight is the longest Dreamliner flight currently in the world so far, this is an achievement that Boeing can take quite a significant level of credit for.

READ MORE: Qantas Returns to the Singapore-London Market

In the bigger picture, aside from all of the competitive tendencies that manufacturers and carriers will have, this is something that can be celebrated for what it is.

From the Wright Brothers barely flying a mile back in 1908 to now being able to travel up to 15,000 kilometres in just short of 18 hours is certainly something that the engineers, test pilots and all of those involved in the development stage of aircraft such as the 787-9, the A350 and A380 should be proud of.

The big thing now for Qantas is whether any other airlines are going to compete with the Australian airline and see whether there will be any perspective of competition. With the flight only just being inaugurated, airlines are probably wanting to see how successful it is initially and take some scope for passenger demand before committing to anything like this.

With this route comes a lot of high-risk because the airline has to provide a service for customers that have to stay on an aircraft for 16-18 hours at a time, which can be argued as sometimes an inconvenience as many passengers want a connection point to stretch and relax further.

Overall, for now, we can take this achievement and celebrate it for what it is. When you think that the industry has done everything, either an airline, a manufacturer or an individual can come out of nowhere and surprise you.</s>The first non-stop scheduled flight from Australia to the UK has landed in London – early – after a 17 hour, six minute journey across 9,240 miles (14,875km) from Perth.

Qantas flight QF9, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with more than 230 passengers and crew on board, touched down at 5.03am at Heathrow on a chilly Sunday morning to a welcome from ground staff.

The landing marked the first commercial passenger jet journey direct between Australia and Europe and has been described as a “game-changer” by some in the aviation industry.

The Dreamliner, which Qantas says has 20% better fuel efficiency than similar-sized aircraft, covered the 14,875km with no major dramas.

Passengers did have to endure a period of some turbulence as the plane skirted Cyclone Marcus, a storm off the west coast of Australia, shortly after take-off.

QF9 departed Perth at approximately 6.57pm local time with the company CEO, Alan Joyce, the Australian trade and tourism minister Steve Ciobo and pack of journalists on board.

On arrival at Heathrow the plane was greeted by parade of vehicles on the tarmac with lights flashing.

After touchdown Captain Lisa Norman, who was one of four working pilots on board, said: “I would like to welcome you to the history book of aviation.

“The world has been watching us today. Thank you for being part of something so magical and so special.”

Joyce gave a short speech over the plane’s intercom shortly before landing in which he congratulated the crew and passengers for making history.

“Today we are on this amazing historic flight which is the fastest flight between Australia and the UK that has ever occurred. So congratulations on this amazing occasion.”

Many of the fare paying passengers on board had specially booked the flight to be part of what they called a moment in history.

Mark Andreassen, 57, from Perth, was one of those onboard QF9.

“I talked to one guy who came from Hong Kong to get this – he was going to London anyway but he went to Perth first,” he said.

Qantas hopes the inaugural flight will not only open up Western Australia to more British tourists bit also be a precursor to a non-stop journey between London and Sydney.

The idea of extreme long-haul travel has also prompted the company to consider new ways to tackle jet lag across multiple time zones.

As well as varying cabin pressure and the introduction of mood lighting , Qantas is teaming up with Sydney University to measure passenger sleep and movement onboard.

Ten passengers on the first flight were fitted with medical-grade, Fit-Bit style, monitors to measure sleep and physical activity. Another device measured posture.
Qantas Airways Flight QF9 becomes the first ever regularly scheduled non-stop flight between Australia and Europe after making the 17-hour journey from Perth to London.