First non-stop Australia-UK flight touches down in London

Qatar Airways Flight 921 is now the longest commercial journey in the world, flying passengers over 14,500km (9,000 miles) from New Zealand to Qatar in almost 18 hours on Boeing 777 airliners.

Auckland is also the origin of Emirates Airline Flight 449, with Airbus A380 superjumbos travelling almost 14,200km to Dubai.

The history-making QF9, carrying more than 200 passengers and 16 crew, pushed back just before 7pm on Saturday evening, landing in London at 5am on Sunday.

"This is a truly historic flight that opens up a new era of travel".

Qantas will use Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners for the non-stop route, with 42 business class flat-bed seats, 28 premium economy seats and 166 economy seats.

Australia's first direct flight to the United Kingdom took off today from the western city of Perth, cutting flying time roughly three hours by skipping stopovers in Singapore or the Middle East, Qantas officials said. "For the first time, Australia and Europe have a direct air link", he said.

The former "kangaroo route", so-called because of all the short hops, followed in 1947 took four days and seven stops. Mr Joyce hailed the new route as a "game changer".

They wore special monitors and devices that also recorded data about their mental state, eating patterns and hydration levels.

The aircraft boasts a number of advantages over other models, including lower cabin noise, larger windows, improved air quality and technology to reduce turbulence.

Qantas analysed a decade of seasonal wind patterns to prepare for the new daily service.

The new Perth-London flight is around three hours faster than other routes that involve stops in the Middle East to change planes or refuel.

It is hoped that these kinds of services will encourage more people to travel to the likes of Sydney and Melbourne, with the Western Australian government keen to attract more tourists to the region.

In 2017, United Airlines launched a route from Los Angeles to Singapore, offering the longest-distance non-stop flight available from the US.