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In a test of airline-passenger endurance, Qantas Airways plans to send wired-up employees on a 19-hour trip to see whether humans can keep up with technological advances that have airlines vying to create ultralong flights. Pilots on 2 nonstop trips from New York to Sydney this year will wear a device to track brain-wave patterns and alertness, data that could help shape the future of air travel. Researchers will work with crew members to record their levels of melatonin—a hormone associated with sleep—before, during and after the flights. Cabin passengers—mostly Qantas employees—also will don wearable devices. Scientists and medical experts will monitor sleep patterns, food and beverage consumption, lighting and human movement in the cabin during the test flights. No ticketed passengers will be on board. <br/>

Cathay Pacific Airways, trying to contain the damage it has suffered from staff taking part in Hong Kong’s anti-Beijing protests, cautioned employees that misuse of social-media platforms could be a breach of rules set by China’s authorities. In a message to employees, Cathay said that posting, responding and sharing content on social media could go against the demands the Civil Aviation Administration of China issued to the carrier this month. Any breach of the rules will be investigated and addressed quickly, the airline said. “Employees should always exercise caution about how their social media usage may be relevant to their own employment, the welfare of others and the business,” Cathay said in the notice to workers. “Any employee who participates in illegal activities will be subject to an investigation process”. <br/>