Qantas flight lands after non-stop journey from London to Sydney

A non-stop flight from London to Sydney has landed, 19 hours and 19 minutes after take-off.

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is believed to have set a long-distance record for a passenger jet.

It left Heathrow around 6am (local time) on Thursday and touching down at Sydney Airport at 12:28pm on Friday (1.30am UK time).

The flight was conducted to research the effects on crew and passengers of ultra-long-haul services which are under consideration by the airline.

It was carrying 40 people, many of them Qantas staffers.

Those on board witnessed two sunrises, the first to the right of the aircraft as it headed north-east after takeoff, and the second to its left as it flew over Indonesia.

Aside from research, the flight kicked off a year of celebrations for the centenary of the airline, which will officially turn 99 on Saturday.

Qantas chairman Richard Goyder said the flight continued the airline's history of helping Australia engage with the rest of the world.

"Qantas is a national icon because it's been such a big part of Australian life for so long," Mr Goyder said in a statement.

"Our founders talked about overcoming the tyranny of distance and through the years we've moved from bi-planes, to single wing, to jets to help bring things closer."

Read more

Qantas makes history with first flight to produce zero landfill waste