There has been much speculation surrounding which route Qantas would choose for their slick new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, and it seems that we now know the outcome of the drawn-out debate.
As of early 2018, Qantas will kick off a non-stop Perth-London flight that will clock in at a huge 17.5 hours in length. When launched, it will rank as the world’s longest non-stop commercial route, as announced first in an article by the Australian Business Traveller.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce is expected to confirm the deal on Sunday, including details of the agreement with Perth airport, who are planning to share the costs of terminal upgrades to accommodate the new route.
Current plans are to modify Perth’s domestic terminal with the goal using it as a transit point for the 787 route, allowing Australian domestic flights from eastern states to seamlessly connect with the London leg. This will involve the construction of a new international departures section of the domestic terminal which will need to include immigration and customs areas.
Qantas are hoping that the simplicity of the Perth transition onwards to London will prove more popular than the Dubai layover, along with the added attraction of the Dreamliner’s smooth ride and jet-lag mitigating technology.
The Qantas 787’s won’t have any first class suites, but we have been promised a souped-up business class and a crisp new version of their Premium Economy as a substitute.
The 787 is expected to begin its journey in Melbourne, where passengers will alight in Perth to clear the international red tape, before continuing their near 18-hour long journey onwards to London.
In addition to the Perth-London trek, non-stop flights to Paris, Rome and Frankfurt will also soon be on the cards, and are expected to be announced in the near future.
