Non-stop from Sydney to London: Qantas reshapes the competition

Courtesy PA

Qantas plans to operate non-stop from Sydney to London in late 2015, making it the world’s longest passenger flight.

CEO Alan Joyce said the 20-hour flight will be the airline’s “Holy Grail” in “the final fix for the tyranny of distance”.

Qantas also plans to fly non-stop from Sydney to New York at the same time. A trial flight in 2019 took a little over 19 hours. The Australian flag carrier already flies 17 hours on-stop from Perth to London. Additionally Qantas operates a slightly longer flight non-stop from Darwin to London when the Perth flight was suspended owing to Covid restrictions.

The airline is ordering 12 Airbus A350-1000s for the new services. There will be four classes with a capacity to carry 238 passengers.

The viability of ultra-long-haul flights has long been debated. , are viable options. There are concerns about the intolerably long distance and time spent in the air. Yet there is the attraction of getting to one’s destination faster without interruption and the hassle of a transit or transfer stop, which in the present times of the pandemic and layers of cumbersome procedures is not something one wishes on one’s plate.

Qantas said the Perth to London non-stop flight has been immensely popular. A number of major airlines have already mounted similar flights ahead of Qantas. Some of the more notable flights include Atlanta to Johannesburg by Delta Air Lines, Doha to Auckland by Qatar Airways, Dubai to Auckland by Emirates, Hong Kong to New York by Cathay Pacific, Manila to New York by Philippines Airlines, New York to Johannesburg by United Airlines, and Singapore to New York by Singapore Airlines (SIA).

Going this route, Mr Joyce said “the cabin is being specially designed for maximum comfort for long haul flying”. The first class suits will offer a separate bed, recliner chair and wardrobe. Economy class will be more spacious than normal and feature a “well-being zone” designed for “movement, stretching and hydration”. Over 40 per cent of configuration will be dedicated to premium economy.

How will Qantas’ non-stop operations shape the competition? Perhaps not so much the flight direct to New York as the other flights from Australia to London, and a non-stop from Sydney to London is certainly not good news for rivals Emirates and SIA as well as the hub airports of Dubai International and Singapore Changi which are popular transit and transfer stops on the lucrative kangaroo route.

These airports are also convenient points for spoke and feeder operations using smaller aircraft to regional destinations.

Of course, there will continue to be passengers who want to break their journey and stretch their legs, and the fare may be the final determinant. However, the landscape may change in the long term as new equipment improves time efficiency and the comfort of travel over a long distance. Emirates and SIA and their respective hub bases will have to push their prowess further to continue to enhance the transit and transfer experience, and to go beyond the airport experience to promote stopover attractions. Recognizably, SIA and Changi are already actively pursuing these goals.

The Covid pandemic has changed travel preferences. The long-haul international routes have been badly hit. There is now increased preference for short-haul travel, but it is a matter of time as Covid restrictions ease when the business for the long haul picks up. The big question is when? The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the pandemic is far from being over. But when that happens, will the preference for the non-stop extend to the ultra-long-haul as a matter of course?

Qantas’ plans for its Sydney to London (and New York as well) have been delayed by the pandemic. That may be a blessing in disguise after all.