In October, November and December, Qantas will receive 3 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. These delivery flights will be part of an experiment Qantas Sunrise.
In order not to fly empty from Seattle to Australia, Qantas aircraft will operate direct test flights on routes New York - Sydney and London - Sydney. 2 flights will be on the route New York - Sydney and 1 fly the route London - Sydney.
We remind you that the Australian carrier wants to launch some ultra-long direct flights from Sydney, Melbourn and Brisbane to the most remote cities of Europe, North America, South America and Africa.
Qantas experiment - 19-hour flights
The research on board is designed in partnership with Charles Perkins Center and Monash University in collaboration with CRC for Surveillance, Safety and Productivity.
Returning to the test flights, they will have 40 people, Qantas employees, including cabin crew members. No air tickets will be sold to the public. By limiting the number of people on board the aircraft, the flight autonomy and passenger comfort will increase. There will also be luggage and catering on board.
Those on board the Dreamliner aircraft will be equipped with portable technology devices and will take part in specific experiences at different flight stages of approximately 19 hours. The duration of the flights will be influenced by the weather conditions.
Scientists and medical experts at the Charles Perkins Center will monitor sleep patterns, food and drink consumption, lighting, physical movements and on-board entertainment to assess the impact of very long flights on the health, well-being and biological clock of the human body.
Monash University researchers will work with pilots to record melatonin levels before, during and after flights. Pilots will wear an EEG (electroencephalogram) device, which will track brain wave patterns and monitor alertness / reaction rate and attention. The purpose is to collect data to help build the optimal work and rest model for pilots on very long flights.
Direct flights from New York and London to Sydney
Following these test flights on the routes New York - Sydney and London - Sydney, Qantas will get the information it needs to adjust the comfort of passengers and crew on very long flights.
The results will be shared with the "Civil Aviation Safety Authority" to establish the minimum requirements and the regulations associated with very long flights.
In the case of the New York - Sydney flight, Qantas will be the first air carrier operated by a commercial aircraft on this route. On the London - Sydney flight, Qantas will be the second flight on this route. It also flew in 1989, marking the entry into service of the Boeing 747-400.
Qantas Sunrise - final decision by December 2019
Airbus and Boeing were challenged to make commercial aircraft worthy of this project. Thus, Boeing considered manufacturing a derivative of the 777X family. While Airbus is already working on the model Airbus A350-1000ULR, a member of the A350X aircraft family.
A final decision on the Sunrise project, which depends on aircraft performance, regulatory approvals and industrial agreements, is expected by the end of December 2019.