Travel
Qantas Passes Aviation Milestone With Direct Perth-London Flight
- Daily non-stop service is first between Europe and Australia
- Airline needs premium travelers to pay up for the one-hop trip
Qantas CEO Says Public Interest in Ultra-Long Routes Will Help Fill Jets
Qantas Airways Ltd. is starting 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.
The 14,498-kilometer (9,000-mile) flight from Perth, one of the world’s most isolated cities, marks the first direct passenger service between the continents. It puts Europe’s financial center 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 -- both listed in Australia and the U.K.