Qantas Airways has successfully completed the world's longest non-stop flight on a commercial airliner from New York to Sydney with 50 passengers and crew on board.
The test flight, which flew 16,200 kilometers, took 19 hours and 16 minutes, Qantas said on its Twitter account on Sunday.
Flight Qantas QF 7879 departed from New York's John F. Kennedy Airport on Friday night and landed at Kingsford Smith Airport in Sydney on Sunday morning, with Sydney time 15 hours ahead of New York time.
Currently, Singapore Airlines operates the world's longest non-stop commercial flight from Singapore to Newark (New Jersey), which takes 18 and a half hours.
Qantas has modified the use of a new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner for the test flight with maximum fuel and a limited load of passengers and luggage, without cargo on board, to allow the aircraft to operate non-stop.
There were 40 passengers on board, including Qantas executives, scientists, researchers and journalists, as well as 10 crew members.
"The purpose of the record-breaking trip is to conduct scientific research on passengers and crew during a very long journey, with the aim of increasing health and wellness, minimizing disturbance of long-haul flights and determining crew rest and optimal work," said Qantas.