Qantas confirms Perth – London direct flights on the 787-9 Dreamliner.
- December 12, 2016
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Qantas has confirmed it will fly to London direct from Perth in March 2018.
Using the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the journey of 14,498 kms will take approximately 17 hours and will make it the longest flight operated ever using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. It’s a long jump for the Australian carrier from 1947 when it took four days and nine stops to get to London from Australia. Now it will take only 17 hours and non-stop.
As the first scheduled passenger service from Australia to Europe, Qantas will give passengers from Australia the first ever direct link to Europe offering convenience and flexibility. The airline advises passenger comfort and endurance of the 17 hour flight was a key deciding factor in finalising plans to fly to London. Although Boeing incorporates latest comfort factors in its Dreamliners but Qantas has enhanced features on-board the aircraft to ensure lower cabin noise, improved cabin air quality and reduced turbulence.
The direct link will bring big gains to the inbound tourist industry as well as giving Australians an opportunity to break their journey in Perth before flying to London on the direct service. Perth is well connected through the Qantas network.
Earlier this year, Qantas introduced the Business and economy class on-board its 787 Dreamliner. The Business Suite is the next generation of the very popular seat recently installed on Qantas’ Airbus A330 fleet. These suites are known for providing a high level of privacy, made more flexible on the 787 with the ability to now adjust the divider between each seat. The suites also have a fully-flat bed and offer plenty of space to eat, work or relax. Laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration, each suite has direct aisle access as well as the ability to stay reclined during take-off and landing.
Economy passengers will also have more room – including an extra inch of seat pitch compared with the national carrier’s A380 – and an all-new seat. It features a new personal device holder and USB ports; more storage areas; a seat-back mood light designed to minimise disturbance for other passengers; and a high-definition entertainment touchscreen that is five per cent larger.
The Qantas Dreamliner will seat 236 passengers across Business, Premium Economy and Economy cabins in a layout that has been designed to maximise comfort for the longer distances the 787-9 is expected to fly.
Bookings for the Perth – London service open in April 2017 with the first scheduled service to take off in March 2018.
