Aviation

Qantas Plans Non-Stop Sydney-London and Sydney-New York Flights

Pretty much everyone prefers a nonstop flight—business people, especially. And they are more likely than most to be in a position to afford the premium.

But right now, all the money in the world won’t get you from Sydney to the Big Apple or UK without a pit stop, because commercial planes just don’t have that kind of range.

That may soon change. For many years, executives at Australian carrier Qantas Airways have coveted a nonstop offering from Sydney and Melbourne to London.

Now, as technology has matured, Qantas executives finally see the potential to realise that dream.

Two new models planned by Airbus and Boeing, they hope, will be able to make the nonstop trip to London—20 hours and 20 minutes—from Sydney. This new model would also jet across the Pacific Ocean to New York in about 18 hours.

On Friday, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce issued a public “challenge” to the companies to extend the range of Boeing’s new 777X, which is slated for 2020, and the planned “Ultra-Long Range” version of Airbus’s A350, which rolls out next year.

Qantas hopes to take delivery of such a plane and begin its Sydney to London service in 2022, the company said as part of its full-year income results.

Qantas noted that both planes “can get close” to the requirements needed for London and New York missions. The public prodding is designed to make one or both manufacturers revisit technical schemes to edge out even greater range.

A nonstop flight from Sydney to London would shave almost four hours off current travel times that involve a stopover; for New York, travellers could save nearly three hours. Airbus said it was equal to the challenge.

“We’ll have the A350-900 ULR in service next year for ultra-long range flights of up to 20 hours,” the company said. “We’ll look forward to working with Qantas to see how we can meet its requirements for Sydney-London non-stop.”

Boeing didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

Long-range flights have become far more common in recent years, as lighter composite aircraft, combined with more durable and fuel-efficient jet turbine technology, have opened a range of new routes with long-haul models from Airbus and Boeing.

Aviation

Lost Tool Found in Qantas A380 After 34 Flights

An Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation recently revealed that a Qantas A380 operated 34 flights with a 1.25-meter nylon tool lodged in one of its engines.

This turning tool, used during borescope inspections to rotate the intermediate-pressure compressor, was left behind during scheduled maintenance at Los Angeles on December 6, 2023. It remained inside the engine until it was discovered by maintenance staff during a subsequent check at Los Angeles on January 1, 2024.

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The ATSB report highlights two critical lapses. First, maintenance engineers failed to notice the tool during final checks for foreign objects after the borescope inspection. Second, the lost tool procedure was not activated when the tool was identified as missing.

The certifying engineer ultimately cleared the aircraft for service without accounting for the misplaced tool. During the time qantas films the tool was inside, the A380 completed 34 flight cycles, accumulating nearly 294 hours without any noticeable effect on engine performance.

Although the tool was deformed by high-energy airflow within the engine, there was no reported damage to the engine itself. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell commented.

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“This incident underscores the importance of following established maintenance protocols. Engineers missed the tool during foreign object checks, and the required lost tool procedure wasn’t started after realizing the tool was missing.”

Following the investigation, the airline issued a safety directive, urging all engineering and tool storage teams to adhere strictly to these protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.

A qantas spokesperson stated, “While the tool didn’t impact engine performance, we take this incident very seriously. It is critical to follow the correct lost tool procedures.”