An American Airlines plane has completed the carrier’s longest direct flight in history.
Flight AAL7 took off from Dallas-Fort Worth International at 9.57pm local time and arrived at Brisbane Airport at 4.57am Australian time on October 28.
According to the airline, the Boeing 787-9 completed its 8,300-mile journey in about 16 and a half hours.
On landing in Brisbane, crew members fixed US and Australian flags outside the cockpit.
Thousands of people followed a livestream on YouTube of the landing in Brisbane, with a spokesperson for the Aussie airport, Peter Doherty, commenting: “Look at that! It’s fantastic.”
Gert-Jan de Graaf, CEO of Brisbane Airport, told USA Today: “Today’s arrival of American Airlines from Dallas-Fort Worth is a landmark moment for Brisbane and Queensland.
“They say there are few things bigger than Texas. Well, Queensland is three times bigger than Texas, but we share industries like agriculture, energy, biotechnology and advanced manufacturing,”
He added: “From the Lone Star State to the Sunshine State, this new connection between two hubs unlocks incredible potential on both sides of the Pacific.”
An American Airlines representative said the service will provide Dallas-Fort Worth customers non-stop access to Brisbane and Queensland’s “sensational” coastlines, “world-famous” zoos and “vibrant” cultural scene.
They told The Independent that as part of the American Airlines–Qantas partnership, customers will be able to connect to almost 70 destinations across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.
Passengers on board American Airlines’ historic flight were given koala teddies, a postcard and voucher for Brisbane’s Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary to mark the occasion.
American Airlines now offers direct flights on the route five times per week with plans to run daily flights by December and until March.
Meanwhile, the carrier is testing a new technology at three airports across the United States during the boarding process which aims to cut down on passengers who try to push in.
The technology, which is being tested at Albuquerque International Sunport Airport in New Mexico, Tucson International Airport in Arizona and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Crystal City, Virginia, alerts gate agents with an audible sound if a passenger tries to scan a ticket ahead of their assigned group.
Although the technology is at the trial stage, the airline said it has been pleased with the results so far.
