Brits will be able to fly direct to Australia in the world’s longest commercial passenger flight.

Aussie airline Qantas is launching the 17 hour non-stop daily service from London’s Heathrow airport to Perth in Western Australia using revolutionary jetlag-busting planes.

It is the first regular direct link between the countries avoiding the need to stop for refuelling in the likes of Singapore, Dubai and Bangkok.

The 9,061 “Kangaroo Route” will beat the current record distance of 8,875 miles for the 16hrs 35mins Emirates flight from Dubai to Auckland, New Zealand.

Announcing it, Qantas chief Alan Joyce said: “When Qantas created the Kangaroo Route between London and Australia in 1947, it took four days and nine stops. Now it will take just 17 hours from Perth non-stop.

“This is a game-changing route flown by a game-changing aircraft.

"Travellers from Europe have never had a direct link Down Under before, so the opportunities this opens for them to explore Australia are huge.’’

The route will operate from March 2018 using the state-of-the-art Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft which is largely made from non-metal materials.

The seats went on sale in April 2017, and you can now book return economy fares here starting from £1095. It could be worth holding off if you're not in a rush to get your tickets - returns are expected to drop £900 during the deal periods!

Flying to Perth will only take you 17 and a half hours (
Image:
Getty)

The jet focuses on passenger comfort with improved air quality, lower cabin noise and turbulence reduction technology.

It also helps to combat jetlag using more natural light, moister air and a lower cabin pressure.

It’s hoped the journey will boost tourism both in the Western Australian capital and in London as a connection to Europe.

The Dreamliners are not yet capable of reaching up to 10,553 miles to fly to the likes of Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, so passengers would need to take onward flights of around four hours to reach eastern Australia from Perth.

Qantas and Aussie tourist chiefs hope Brits will fly to Perth first and spend some time exploring the area and adapting to the eight hour time difference.

Sydney will still require a trip of two flights

Mr Joyce said: “A direct flight makes travelling from the UK to Australia a much more attractive proposition to millions of people.

“We expect many travellers from Europe will start their time in Australia with a visit to Perth before going on to see other parts of the country.”

“Australians have never had a direct link to Europe before so the opportunities this opens up are huge,” Joyce added.

“Some will take the opportunity to break their journey, whether it’s for business meetings in Perth, to holiday or to visit family.”

The UK is Australia’s third-largest source of international visitors with 660,000 people travelling from there to Australia in 2015.

The London-Perth flights carrying 236 passengers will go on sale in April 2017.

Qantas is expected to clear for take off the world's longest non-stop commercial flight next week.

Comment by Nigel Thompson, Travel Editor

Seventeen hours is a very long time to spend on one aircraft.

But, although there is nothing you can do about changes in time zones, I've found these amazing planes really do help you arrive in much better shape to deal with it.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has more natural light thanks to larger windows, LED mood lighting and wider aisles and higher ceilings. They are 60% quieter than standard jets and fly higher and faster.

Passengers also benefit from moister air at a lower cabin pressure, so more oxygen can be absorbed to stop dehydration and headaches.

These new jets are changing aviation options for passengers, with British Airways launching a 14hr 40min direct service to Santiago, Chile, on January 3. That will be the longest service from the UK until the Perth route starts.

This non-stop flight is a great achievement and I reckon the enterprising Aussies' route will be a massive success.

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