Australian airline Qantas has set a company record by flying a one-off direct flight from Buenos Aires to the city of Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory.
The flight repatriated 107 Australians and set two Qantas records in the process: longest distance covered (15,020 km or 9,333 miles) and longest time in the air for a commercial flight (17 hours and 25 minutes).
Before the pandemic, Qantas’ longest direct passenger flight connected London and Perth, which came in at a “mere” 14,498 km (9,009 miles) and 16 hours and 45 minutes.
“Qantas has always stepped up to a challenge, especially when it comes to long-haul travel, and this flight is an excellent example of the capabilities and attention to detail of our flight planning team,” Captain Alex Passerini, one of the four pilots who helmed the aircraft, said in a statement.
He notes one more additional achievement: “There were some truly spectacular views as we tracked across Antarctica.”
The flight, QF14, was on a Boeing 787-9 named “Great Barrier Reef.”
The plane left Argentina at 12:44 pm local time on Tuesday, October 5, then flew south, crossed Antarctica, and arrived in Darwin at 6:39 pm local time on Wednesday, October 6. The journey was entirely in daylight.