Qantas will launch the first regular nonstop service between Australia and Great Britain in March 2018, according to the .
The route, from London to the southwestern city of Perth, will cover 9,008 miles. It would be the second-longest flight in the world and the longest by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The approximately 17-hour flight would only be topped in mileage by Qatar Airways’ Doha-Auckland service, which is set to launch in early 2017.
The Perth-London flights will begin in March 2018.
“This is a game-changing route flown by a game-changing aircraft. Australians have never had a direct link to Europe before, so the opportunities this opens up are huge,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said. “It’s great news for travelers because it will make it easier to get to London. It’s great news for western Australia because it will bring jobs and tourism. And, it’s great news for the nation, because it will bring us closer to one of our biggest trade partners and sources of visitors.”
The 787-9 Dreamliner that Qantas plans to use for the flight will carry 236 passengers in a three-class configuration of business, premium economy and economy.
Tickets go on sale in April.