The dream of Perth to London non-stop flights may be closer than we think, with Qantas putting the latest version of the 777 – the world’s longest range commercial aircraft – under the microscope.
The dream of Perth to London non-stop flights may be closer than we think, with Qantas putting the latest version of the 777 – the world’s longest range commercial aircraft – under the microscope.
On February 13, just two days before the 777 – 200LR (Long Range) – was unveiled, Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon declared his airline was interested in the potential the aircraft offered.
Boeing says that in its definitive form, with three cargo-loaded fuel tanks, the 777-200LR will carry a near full payload – 295 passengers and bags – from Perth to London against the prevailing winds. The aircraft can even fly 295 passengers and bags from London to Sydney non-stop, a distance of 17,016 kilometres, with the help of tail winds.
While the exact performance of the 777-200LR varies depending on airline operational criteria, there is no doubt that this aircraft gives Qantas some fascinating options in its battle with Emirates and Singapore Airlines for high-yield premium traffic.
Qantas is evaluating various members of both the 777 and the Airbus A340 families to supplement its 747s and new A380s, which will be delivered late next year.
Qantas chief financial officer Peter Gregg has told media that “definitely, we will have a mixed fleet that will be hub-based flying [A380/747] and what we call hub-busting flying, to try and fly beyond hubs in the future.”
To validate the promise of the 777-200LR, Boeing is planning some major endurance flights in June and July. Sydney appears to be emerging as the focal point, with one scenario a near-full payload New York-to-Sydney flight and another from London to Sydney. Perth may also host the 777-200LR on its flight test program, which concludes in September.
Boeing is also considering a 24-hour plus endurance flight, which will earn the flight crew the ‘order of the double sunrise’, an honour last bestowed in airline service by Qantas with its Catalina service between Perth and Colombo during WWII.
For Qantas the options are tantalising. It could code-share with British Airways to open up new routes that would capture the flying public’s imagination, and more importantly potentially lure significant high-yield traffic off its arch rivals Emirates and Singapore Airlines.
Fuelled by the resource boom, international traffic is booming out of Perth. For the six months to December 31, Perth Airport reported an 11 per cent growth in international passengers.
