Qantas airline completed a 19-hour test flight between New York and Sydney, with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft carrying just 49 passengers in addition to pilots and staff. It was the longest commercial flight ever and was organized to collect data and information on the behavior of pilots, passengers and cabin crew during such a long flight. Airliners are not normally used for such long journeys and for this reason the Qantas aircraft departed with the maximum fuel load available, no baggage in the hold and less than 50 passengers on board.
Passengers were encouraged to adjust their watches to the Sydney time zone shortly after departure and were kept awake until Australian sunset to reduce jet lag. During the flight, several tests were also carried out on both passengers and pilots and flight attendants, to understand the physical and mental impact of such a long flight. The flight, which covered the distance of 16,200 kilometers in 19 hours and 16 minutes, went well and could become a scheduled flight in the future. In the coming months, Qantas is expected to perform similar tests flying between London and Sydney.
