SYDNEY: A plane and its passengers are set to test the mental and physical limits of long-haul aviation when Qantas operates the first direct flight by a commercial airline from New York to Sydney this weekend.
In the first of three "ultra long-haul" test flights planned by Australia´s national flag carrier this year, researchers will monitor the effects on passengers of the 19-hour non-stop journey.
Up to 40 passengers and crew -- most of them Qantas employees -- will be on board the Boeing 787-9 when it departs New York on Friday. The plane is scheduled to arrive Down Under Sunday morning.
Passenger numbers have been restricted to minimise the weight on board and give the plane sufficient fuel range to travel approximately 16,000 kilometres (about 9,500 miles) without re-fuelling, heading west over the Pacific. No other airline has ever achieved the feat, which Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has called the "final frontier in aviation".
Scientists from two Australian universities will be on board to monitor passengers´ sleep patterns, melatonin levels, and food consumption. Pilots will also wear a device that tracks their brain waves and alertness. With a 15-hour time difference between New York and Sydney, the impact of jetlag will be closely watched.