Last Updated
Qantas Airways announced they are one step closer to launching non-stop direct flights from New York to Syndey. The 19 hour flight will undergo a human trial on Friday as 40 passengers will test out the journey.
Scientists and medical experts will be on-board to assess the impacts of the flight on health, wellbeing and body clock.
The flight will take off from New York and fly directly to Sydney. The test flight will have mostly Qantas employees on board, fitted with wearable technology devices. The passengers will take part in specific experiments at different stages of the flight.
Scientists and medical experts from the Charles Perkins Centre will be monitoring sleep patterns, lighting, food and beverage consumption, inflight entertainment and physical movement. The evaluation will be to assess impact on health, body clock and well-being.
The goal of the test flight is to monitor how the human mind and body cope with ultra long-haul flights.
Pilots will be wearing devices that measure their level of alertness and brain wave activity. This will help Qantas develop the optimal work and rest pattern for operating long-haul services.
The flight from New York directly to Sydney non-stop is a very appealing flight for many travelers but ultimately the numbers have to add up for Qantas. The final decision is expected before the end of 2019 after the completion of two more additional test flights.
“Flying non-stop from the East Coast of Australia to London and New York is truly the final frontier in aviation, so we’re determined to do all the groundwork to get this right."
What do you think of the almost 20 hour non-stop flight from New York to Sydney? Let us know in the comments below!
Have a travel related news story you want us to cover? Contact us
Follow us on Facebook below for all the latest travel news and tips!