New Perth to London flight lands in UK

The first Perth to London direct flight has landed in the UK, and flights from Australia's east coast to Heathrow and New York could start in 2022.

Source: AAP

Australia is now directly linked to the UK by air for the first time with the start of the non-stop flights between Perth and London, and flights connecting the east coast could begin in 2022.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said the airline had challenged Airbus and Boeing to produce an aircraft capable of flying direct to Heathrow and New York from Sydney and Melbourne.

The new route from the West Australian capital to London on Qantas' new 787-9 Dreamliner shaves several hours off the journey for those departing Perth.

For travellers coming to Perth from Melbourne, however, the total time saving for the journey to Heathrow is only about one hour.