Qantas starts testing very long-haul 20-hour flights

Once completed, the Qantas test flight linking New York in Sydney this weekend will be the flight the longest non stop never undertaken by a commercial airline.

Qantas Airways has started the three-month test of its proposed ultra-long-haul flight – a 20-hour non-stop flight between Sydney and New York or London. Using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, the Australian-based carrier will test both the solid foundation of aircraft resistance, as well as the level of passenger tolerance over almost a full day of flight. The flight from around 19:30 will become the longest in the world in terms of time and length with 10,563 miles. For this test flight, only 40 people are on board. A team of researchers will test the vigilance and performance of the pilots as well as the level of sleep and the impact on the health of the passengers.

This is one of the three search flights that the company performs under the title "Project Sunrise" to see the impact of very long-haul flights on pilots and crew members. The flights will carry approximately 50 passengers and crew members. Systems videos were boarded inside the cockpit, to observe the entire flight. Four pilots will participate in the study, taking turns taking charge of the flight. They are all on the flight deck for take-off and landing, but during the flight's cruising phase, they will actually form two pairs and alternate their sleep schedules throughout the flight. Researchers at the Center for Alertness, Safety and Productivity Research (Alertness CRC) and the Charles Perkins Center at the University of Sydney are studying the impacts.

"The fundamental science of circadian rhythms has taught us that a greater difference in time between places of departure and arrival and going east rather than west tends to make people feel more comfortable. time difference »says Stephen Simpson, academic director of the Charles Perkins Center at the University of Sydney. "Very long distance flights raise many common sense questions about the comfort and well-being of passengers and crews. These flights will provide valuable data to help you answer them. For customers, the key will be to minimize jet lag and create an environment conducive to a relaxing and enjoyable flight. For the crew, it is a question of resorting to the scientific research to determine the best opportunities to promote the vigilance when they are in service and to maximize the rest during their free time on these flights »says Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce.

But it must also have a financial meaning for Qantas. The aircraft will likely need additional fuel tanks outside, and the cabin configuration will need to be modified to sell more seats. Premium class and Business class.