Image source, Qantas Image caption, The non-stop London to Sydney flight would enter new frontiers in aviation By Rachel Clun , Osmond Chia , Business reporters and Kris Bramwell Published 27 June 2026 On a stage at the Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, the chief executive of Australian airline Qantas declares: "The tyranny of distance has finally been conquered". Vanessa Hudson was in the French city last week to announce the world's first 20-plus hour flight route. The airline first flew what it named the Kangaroo route between London and Sydney in 1947. At the time, it was an odyssey spanning seven stops and four days. Those stops have been gradually reduced, with Qantas now stopping only once, in Singapore, on the way through. But 80 years after that 1940s venture, the first non-stop flight between the two cities is set to take off from October 2027. Using specially designed ultra-long-haul Airbus planes, Qantas expects to shave about four hours off the current journey time. It is expected to last around 22 hours. The much anticipated - and delayed - breakthrough comes after a turbulent few years in the airline's history, and bosses are banking on customers embracing the premium but marathon flight. "We feel really confident that this is going to be a success," Hudson tells the BBC. Some analysts say it is a major milestone in aviation history. But is it really what people want? One stop too far in price - or not? Qantas has overcome some challenges to get this far - and still faces others. The flight will save money on landing fees by eliminating a stop, but Hudson admits the longer flight has a higher relative fuel bill. There are also fewer seats, nearly half of which (40%) will be premium economy, business, or first class. To counter the increased risk of issues such as deep vein thrombosis which can occur from flying for such long periods, Qantas has increased the legroom in economy and also created a dedicated "wellness" space where passengers can follow stretching exercises on a screen and have a little more room to move about. Hudson points to the success of the Perth to London route, saying "customers have been prepared to pay a premium" for that service. Australian travel agent Karis Heemskerk is among the fans of spending more time on one plane to get to their destination faster. Image source, Karis Heemskerk Image caption, Karis Heemskerk is keen to avoid a stop on long-haul flights The 41-year-old has taken the roughly 18-hour flight from Perth to London a couple of times, including with her husband and two children, and says being able to fly direct is "amazing" and an efficient use of time. "I think the direct flights cut time and there is no risk of missed connections and the stress of your luggage being lost," she tells the BBC. "Cons are that it can be gruelling and it is a long time for some individuals to be confined...
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