Singapore has banned transit passengers from March 24 because of threats of Coronavirus. This disease, with its roots in China, has created chaos in the Travel industry. Therefore, Qantas had to find an alternate route. It chose to go via Darwin and Sydney to London flight will make its last departure from Sydney on March 26. It will make a brief halt for fuel at Darwin before proceeding on its 16-plus hour’s journey to London. The advantage of Darwin is its location that permits for a quick stopover before the 17-hour flight to London. The last return flight of Qantas from London to Sydney via Darwin will take off March 27 and land the next day.

Darwin used to be in the London air map even in the 1930s.

CNN says Qantas plans to ground its full fleet of planes by the end of May. It will include the A380s. Airbus has decided to stop its production by 2021 and airlines are already looking for alternatives. The double-decker plane used to be a favorite of passengers. However, in the opinion of a knowledgeable person - "The 380 was a bad business decision in the first place." Boeing 787 was a better option because it was of medium capacity, was economical from the point of view of fuel consumption and fell in the category of a long-range aircraft.

It could also double up as a freight carrier.

Qantas in the record books

The Australian airline Qantas has always tried to be different and be in the record books. It has been involved in some remarkable aviation moments in the recent past. In November last, it became the first commercial airline to complete the longest passenger flight in the world.

Its duration was 19 hours and 19 minutes and it covered a distance of about 11,060 miles. It was Flight QF7879 from London to Sydney. Earlier, in March 2018, Qantas used a Boeing Dreamliner to fly direct from Perth to London. It was the first direct flight from Australia to the UK. Observers feel its latest Darwin-London flights could open up new avenues.

The airline wants to set new standards in aviation because such long-distance flights are tests for not only the machines but also for the men behind the machines, especially the crew. They have to be in a position to endure such long-duration flights.

Coronavirus forces Qantas to suspend international flights

According to Independent UK, threats of the ongoing coronavirus sees Qantas put on hold all its international flights before the end of March. However, it will continue to operate some scheduled services connecting Sydney and London. One of these will be the first-ever direct flight between Australia and the UK via Darwin.

It used to be via Singapore but that is no longer possible because of the ban imposed on all international travelers. It includes even those who are simply transiting through the airport. Therefore, Qantas chose to go via Darwin. The Airbus A380 will have to travel from Sydney to Darwin, halt for refueling and continue its journey to London. Incidentally, this would be a special route for the next few days, before the airline suspends all international flights. In 2019, Qantas carried out its Project Sunrise. It involved three test flights using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. These connected Sydney with cities in the US and the UK. The cities were New York and London. Qantas could launch these on a commercial basis in 2022 provided they are financially viable.

Qantas wants to lead the way

The world has come a long way from the days of biplanes and now connects far-off countries with ease. Air travel is common because everyone wants to make the best use of his time. Qantas is an airline that wants to keep alive competition. The airline industry has to continuously innovate to remain in business and the Australian airline has not hesitated to experiment with new concepts like its Project Sunrise. It wants to raise the bar of aviation and air travel.
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