How far will they go? The race for the longest direct flights

AIRCRAFT capable of flying non-stop for close to 20 hours at a time are helping to make the world a smaller place.

International airlines are increasingly looking to use aircraft such as the Boeing 777-200LR to fly to far flung destinations in one hit.

Next February, Emirates will launch the world’s longest non-stop flight from Dubai to Panama City, over a distance of 13,821km.

But that is likely to be eclipsed within months by Air India, which is planning to fly 14,003km non-stop from Bengaluru to San Francisco.

The incredible range of the Boeing 777-200LR makes a direct flight from Sydney to London a possibility, at a distance of 16,983km.

Sydney to New York City is even more realistic, at 15,979km, or Brisbane to London at 16,516km.

Qantas boss Alan Joyce hinted last month that the airline would look at new routes when delivery of new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners begin in 2017.

But it seems the best passengers can hope for is Melbourne to Dallas over 14,475km and possibly some direct flights into Europe out of Perth.

Virgin Australia operates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on its trans-Pacific flights but currently has no plans to test the limits of the plane’s 14,490km maximum range.

Australian aviation consultant Bill Meeke said direct flights from Australia to destinations such as London, Paris, Milan and New York, could have begun ten years ago.

In 2005, a Boeing 777-200LR set a new world record with a 22-hour, 42-minute flight over 21,601km.

Mr Meeke even worked on a case study for a new long-haul, low cost international airline with a view to launching Sydney-New York flights.

The move was thwarted by the GFC, but Mr Meeke would still like to see it become a reality.

“We designed a two-class operation with lie-flat business class seats and extra leg room in economy because of the amount of time people were going to spend in the aircraft,” said Mr Meeke.

“You also have to put in more catering when you’re spending 19 to 20-hours in the air

He said the benefits of travelling direct without time-consuming stopovers in Los Angeles or Dallas-Fort Worth were considerable.

“I think it’s a market differentiator especially for higher yielding business class passengers.”

Qantas currently operates the world’s longest flight in an A380 between Dallas/Fort Worth and Sydney, over a distance of 13,810 kilometres.

The Boeing 777-200LR has a maximum range of 17,395km and the A340-500 can fly for 16,670km non-stop.