The 20-hour flight is coming. And it may have a gym and bunks
The goal of a nonstop flight from Sydney to London -- half the way around the planet -- took a leap forward as the world’s top planemakers convinced Qantas they can make the 20-hour route a reality. A year after Qantas CEO Alan Joyce publicly challenged Boeing and Airbus to design a plane capable of making a viable direct flight from Sydney to London or New York, he says the manufacturers have succeeded. “We’re now comfortable that we think we have vehicles that could do it,” Joyce said. Project Sunrise, as Qantas calls it, involves configuring an aircraft so that it can fly about 300 passengers and their luggage farther than any regular service to date, with fuel in hand for unexpected headwinds and emergencies. If the first routes prove viable in 2022, direct connections from major cities in the Americas, Europe and Africa to Australia could follow. Qantas and the manufacturers are dreaming up cabin interiors geared toward surviving such marathon flights. There’s scope to incorporate bunks, child-care facilities and even somewhere to work out, Joyce said. “We’re challenging ourselves to think outside the box,” he said. “Would you have the space used for other activities -- exercise, bar, creche, sleeping areas and berths? Boeing and Airbus have been actually quite creative in coming up with ideas.”<br/>
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The 20-hour flight is coming. And it may have a gym and bunks
The goal of a nonstop flight from Sydney to London -- half the way around the planet -- took a leap forward as the world’s top planemakers convinced Qantas they can make the 20-hour route a reality. A year after Qantas CEO Alan Joyce publicly challenged Boeing and Airbus to design a plane capable of making a viable direct flight from Sydney to London or New York, he says the manufacturers have succeeded. “We’re now comfortable that we think we have vehicles that could do it,” Joyce said. Project Sunrise, as Qantas calls it, involves configuring an aircraft so that it can fly about 300 passengers and their luggage farther than any regular service to date, with fuel in hand for unexpected headwinds and emergencies. If the first routes prove viable in 2022, direct connections from major cities in the Americas, Europe and Africa to Australia could follow. Qantas and the manufacturers are dreaming up cabin interiors geared toward surviving such marathon flights. There’s scope to incorporate bunks, child-care facilities and even somewhere to work out, Joyce said. “We’re challenging ourselves to think outside the box,” he said. “Would you have the space used for other activities -- exercise, bar, creche, sleeping areas and berths? Boeing and Airbus have been actually quite creative in coming up with ideas.”<br/>
