Qantas pilots urge 'significant caution' over ultra-long-haul fatigue

The union representing Qantas' international pilots says data collected on 3 test flights to assess potential non-stop services from New York and London to east-coast Australia will not be enough to fully understand the risk of pilot fatigue on such long journeys. Qantas Saturday will operate an almost 20-hour non-stop flight from New York to Sydney, which is longer than any commercial airline route in the world today. Qantas' pilot research will form part of a case to convince Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority to permit the new, ultra-long haul routes. But ahead of the first journey the Australian and International Pilots Association has warned the 3 test flights would create a "limited set of data that will not adequately replicate real-world flying conditions". <br/>