On the cards: A 20-hour non-stop flight

Qantas CEO had challenged manufacturers to design aircraft capable of flying from Sydney to London or New York nonstop

The prospect of a 20-hour non-stop Sydney-London appears not too distant with top aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus having prevailed on Australian nation-flag carrier Qantas, Bloomberg reported.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce publicly challenged the aircraft manufacturers to design an plane capable of flying from Sydney to London or New York nonstop a year earlier. In an interview at the airline's headquarters, he said they had succeeded.



Qantas is considering both, the Airbus A350 and the Boeing 777X long-haul jets for Project Sunrise. The initiative envisions flights carrying 300 passengers and their luggage across distances unmatched till date. If the routes prove viable, direct connections to major cities across the United States, Europe and Africa may follow.



“We’re challenging ourselves to think outside the box,”  Joyce said. He added that ingenious use of on-board space including gyms and bunks.

This story originally appeared in the Bloomberg.