Qantas is adding another ultra-long-haul route to its stable after it confirmed Monday it would launch non-stop Brisbane-Chicago flights next year.
The 14,326km (8902 miles) flight will take about 16 hours 20 minutes, depending on the wind, and will be fourth longest passenger flight in the world.
It will be eclipsed on the Qantas network, at least for now, only by the airline’s marathon 14,449km Perth-London flight.
Chicago is becoming a popular destination for Australasian carriers with Qantas joining Air New Zealand in wooing passengers in the mid-west commercial powerhouse with non-stop flights.
READ: Longest Air New Zealand flight hits Chicago running.
Subject to final approval by UA authorities of its deal with American Airlines, the flying kangaroo plans to launch the four-times-weekly Boeing 787-9 Chicago service by the end of April next year and expects seats to go on sale in the coming weeks.
It is part of a network expansion that will add 170,000 seats across the Pacific each year and includes a new three-times-weekly service between Brisbane and San Francisco.
Chicago is the third biggest city in the US and a major American Airlines hub that adds 30 unique one-stop US destinations from Australia.
Qantas said that adding the city to Los Angeles and Dallas/Fort Worth meant its customers would be able to connect in the US to more than 200 onward destinations.
The new service will also allow Qantas customers from other cities to fly through Brisbane rather than grapple with customs in Los Angeles, an option also provided by Air New Zealand’s non-stop service from Auckland.
The shorter Brisbane-San Francisco flights will complement existing services to the US tourist destination from Melbourne and Sydney and bring the total number of weekly services between the Queensland capital and the US to 14.
This includes a daily Boeing 787 service to Los Angeles that continues to New York.
“This is fantastic news for Queensland. It demonstrates the confidence that we have in the local tourism industry and our commitment to the Sunshine State,” Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said.
“This will give Qantas and American Airlines customers unprecedented access. These flights will make it one stop from Chicago to Hamilton Island or San Francisco to Townsville.
“These new services will connect both Australian business travelers and holidaymakers with key centers of commerce, industry and culture in the United States.
The new routes are expected to pump more than $A150m into Queensland and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk estimated the new routes would generate 1700 jobs in the state over the next three years.
Qantas also revealed that the name Longreach would live on as the moniker on a new Dreamliner to be delivered later this year.
“As we count down to our centenary and retire our extended range 747 aircraft, which all feature the iconic Longreach name, we’re proud to continue its legacy on one of our new 787s,'' Joyce said.
"Queensland is a pivotal part of our history and an important part of our identity.”
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