On a stage at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, the chief executive of Australian airline Qantas declared: “The tyranny of distance has at last been conquered”.
Vanessa Hudson was in the French city last week to announce the world’s first more than 20-hour flight route.
The airline first flew the Kangaroo route between London and Sydney in 1947. At that time, it was a journey lasting seven stops and four days.
Those stops have gradually been reduced, with Qantas now stopping in Singapore only once en route.
But 80 years after that 1940s venture, the first non-stop flight between the two cities is scheduled to begin in October 2027.
By using specially designed ultra-long-haul Airbus aircraft, Qantas expects to save approximately four hours on current journey times. It is expected to last for approximately 22 hours.
The much-anticipated – and delayed – success comes after some tumultuous years in the airline’s history, and bosses are banking on customers embracing the premium but marathon flying.
“We’re pretty confident it’s going to be successful,” Hudson tells the BBC.
Some analysts say this is a major milestone in aviation history. But is this what people really want?