History was made when the first Qantas non-stop flight from Perth to London landed on Sunday morning at Heathrow following its departure on Saturday night.
The journey was scheduled for a gruelling 17 hours and 20 minutes but it landed triumphantly a few minutes ahead of schedule at 5.02am after travelling the historical 9,000 miles.
The plane used for the long haul was the revamped Boeing 787-9 Dremaliner, called Emily, and is twice as fuel-efficient as the the Boeing 747.
The aircraft boasts of a number of advantages over other models, including lower cabin noise, larger windows, improved air quality and technology to reduce turbulence.
Passengers onboard were delighted to take part of the historic ride, sharing photos of the specially crafted menu, complimentary amenity bags and the self-serve pantry, that’s loaded with free treats and drinks.
The flight is 24 per cent further than the UK’s previous longest route, operated by Garuda Indonesia between Heathrow and Jakarta, and was a measly 7,275 miles in comparison.
The inaugural trip took off with more than 200 passengers and 16 crew members, as those onboard began the journey with a round of applause.
The plane has 42 business class flat-bed seats, 28 premium economy seats and 166 economy seats.
Passengers were greeted with complimentary amenity bags, which included a sleeping mask, ear buds, a Qantas fleece blanket and a toothbrush.
Self proclaimed ‘aviation geek’ Wayne Kwong rode in economy for the 17 hour flight and shared several photos on his social media detailing his journey.
He shared photos of the menu, writing: ‘Specially designed meals for this ultra longhaul flight. Tasty, filling but not heavy on your stomach! Well done.’
There was a main meal, mid-flight, morning bakery and breakfast menus, as well as a free-for-all snack cabinet passengers could access throughout the flight for treats.
Dinner offerings included, cheese ravioli with leek and mushroom cream sauce; and chicken with red rice and roasted Mediterranean vegetables.
The meals were designed to maintain hydration, aid sleep and reduce jet lag, according to the airline.
But to the dismay to many, there was no free Wifi on the flight, so passengers couldn’t detail every moment of their trip.
Another frequent complaint about the plane was the lack of legroom.
According to business class passenger Robert Williamson, a mining executive from Perth, the flight was ‘was surprisingly good — above my expectation’, he told the Independent.
But economy passenger Peter Robinson, a builder from Liverpool, begged to differ.
He said the specially crafted food items were bland and ‘ordinary’, but admitted the flight was ‘good, quicker than I thought.’
Although passengers onboard the long haul flight gave it fairly positive reviews, others were sceptical it was as smooth sailing as described.
Most were concerned they wouldn’t be able to walk or feel their behinds after spending more than half a day glued to their seats.
Others drew on their experiences of flying for 12 hours as cause to never subject themselves to 17 hours on a plane.
While some were mostly upset that the non-stop flight meant no cigarettes.
The plane’s exterior special indigenous livery design is based on the artwork Yam Dreaming by Emily Kame Kngwarreye.
To prepare for the massive flight, more than 21,000 individual items were piled onto the aircraft, including 330 peppermint tea bags and hundreds of chocolate biscuits.
But after being parked at Heathrow for eight hours, the plane was scheduled to turn right back around to Perth, for another non-stop 17 hour flight for a second run.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce was aboard the flight and addressed the media describing the flight as a major milestone for Australia, as well as global aviation.
Mr Joyce said the flight was off to a great start and the successful journey had kicked off a new era in travelling with the flight path eliminating stopovers.
To ensure there are more long direct flights from Australia, Mr Joyce said Qantas needs to show that the plan will be economically beneficial.
‘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,’ Mr Joyce said.
‘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.’
Mr Joyce said the flight has received a lot of attention since it was first announced.
‘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.’
QF9 is operated by four pilots across the journey, with one or two pilots resting at any one time.
On board Saturday night was one female pilot, Captain Lisa Norman. About 6 per cent of Qantas pilots are female and globally it is three per cent, a Qantas representative told Daily Mail Australia.
Mr Joyce said a huge amount of work had gone into optimising the experience for customers taking the trip.
‘This is hands-down the most comfortable aircraft that Qantas has ever put in the sky.
