Qantas steps up plans for nonstop flights from Sydney to London

Qantas expects to place an order at the end of next year for aircraft that will be able to fly nonstop from Sydney to London as the Australian airline bets on strong passenger demand for direct routes. CE Alan Joyce said Qantas had always specialised “in super long-haul” given its geographic location. “We now have the aircraft to do it and be more competitive than the hub carriers by having the direct service,” he added. The company opened talks with aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus about an aircraft that could fly the 21-hour trip from Sydney to London last year. Boeing is offering the wide-body 777-8X, while rival Airbus had pitched its A350-1000, said Joyce. Talks are focusing on what both manufacturers can guarantee in terms of the performance of each aircraft and specifications required to make the 17,016km route economic. Joyce gave no indication of the potential number of aircraft Qantas might order but said in general an optimum fleet size was between 10 and 20 aircraft. The company has begun talks with its pilots and cabin crew about how the trip would affect their working conditions, as well as with the regulator.<br/>