RECORD OF THE LONGEST DIRECT FLIGHT OF HISTORY

Upon arrival, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce welcomed a "truly historic moment," both for his company and for the aviation world as a whole.

This experimental flight QF7879 is the first of three long-haul flights planned by the Australian company Qantas this year. "This is the first of three test flights after which we will be able to see what recommendations we can make for the way pilots manage their fatigue, and for passengers to manage jet lag," said Alan Joyce.

The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner party on Friday night from JF Kennedy Airport in New York was carrying only 49 people, mostly Qantas employees. The weight in the cabin was thus reduced, which allowed to board a sufficient amount of fuel for the 16,000 kilometers of the journey. According to the specialized website flightradar24.com, the aircraft weighed 233 tons on takeoff, including 101 tons of kerosene.

Four pilots took turns flying during the flight with devices to measure their brainwaves and their vigilance. The Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) has requested a "long-term scientific study" on the impact of these flights on crews.

Researchers from two Australian universities were on board to observe how passengers slept and fed, and to monitor their level of melatonin, the "sleep hormone". At the end of the embarkation, passengers were asked to set their watch at Sydney time. They were then kept awake until nightfall on the eastern part of Australia.

For this, physical exercises were offered to them, caffeine and spicy meals were served in a lighted cabin. Six hours later, they were treated to a meal rich in carbohydrates before being asked to stop looking at screens. The lights were then dimmed to help them fall asleep.

The airline said the test flights are only part of the work it does to ensure that its flights are operated safely.