It's a major aviation breakthrough, but flying non-stop from London to Sydney is still "just a long flight, really".
Australia's high commissioner to the UK George Brandis was one of the 50 passengers and crew on the Qantas test flight from London to Sydney which landed on Friday, November 15 after 19 hours and 19 minutes in the air.
The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, operating as QF7879, landed with 90 minutes' worth of fuel to spare.
Mr Brandis described the trip as "just a long flight, really".
"But it was remarkable to get on the plane at Heathrow and get off in Sydney," he told AAP at Sydney Airport last Friday.
A Dreamliner can usually carry up to 300 people, but it is currently impossible to fly a plane at full passenger and cargo capacity from London to Sydney without refuelling.
A Qantas flight from Sydney to London via Singapore usually takes 22 and a half hours.
Those on board were mostly Qantas employees fitted with monitors to track sleep patterns, food and drink intake, lighting and physical movement.
The data taken from the passengers on board will be assessed by researchers from the Charles Perkins Centre, a medical institute at the University of Sydney, to assess the impact of the flight on their health, wellbeing and body clock.
A team from Melbourne's Monash University worked with pilots and crew to monitor melatonin levels before, during and after the flight. Melatonin is the hormone that regulates sleep cycles.
Pilots wore a device that tracks brain wave patterns and monitors alertness, Qantas said, to gather data on the best work and rest patterns for long-haul services.
The airline said the data on crew wellbeing and alertness will be shared with Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority to inform future regulations for ultra-long haul flights.
Captain Helen Trenerry, one of four pilots at the flight's helm, said the journey was very successful.
"The airplane is very, very versatile and and handled that mission very well today," Capt Trenerry said.
All four pilots had two breaks of four hours each and slept in bunks on board, so "we actually feel quite fine," she said.
"This flight was a dream for us. It was very exciting and it was pretty easy to do."
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said the company had been evaluating two aircrafts - the A350 and 777-8X - over the last few years as potential carriers for the route.
Both could fly the route non-stop with a full load, he said.
"Now we're convinced that both aircraft can do the critical missions," he told reporters.
If Qantas decides it has a business case it will order the aircraft for arrival from 2023, Mr Joyce said.
The world has now "shrunk" thanks the milestone flight, Prime Minister Scott Morrison told those gathered for its arrival.
Another local on hand for the arrival of the Dreamliner was Qantas employee Simon Preston of Engadine.
"I was privileged to be at Kingsford Smith Airport on November 16 when Qantas Flight QF7879 arrived home," Mr Preston told the Leader.
"The brand identity, the significance of this flight, the spirit, innovation, team work, dedication and desire to push the boundaries of what is possible all symbolise why I love working for this great company.
"As the plane was towed into the hangar Guy Sebastian and the Qantas Choir sang I Still Call Australia Home.
"The sun was beating down and the sky behind QF7879 was sapphire blue. Everyone felt proud to be working for Qantas and Australian. There wasn't a dry eye in the house."
It was the second aircraft to fly the route non-stop, with the first touching down in August 1989.
The Boeing 747-400 which made the journey carried no passengers, only crew, and is now at an Australian museum.
Qantas flew a Dreamliner non-stop from New York to Sydney last month, although the route is around 1600km shorter.
Qantas is due to make a final decision on the viability of Project Sunrise as a commercial flight route by the end of the year.
The airline said all carbon emissions from Thursday's take-off will be fully offset.
with AAP
