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Man who didn’t move for 17 hours mystifies Qantas

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As Qantas conducts research into passenger behaviour for its new Project Sunrise, which aims to make long-distance travel as comfortable as possible, it has encountered a mystery – the man who never moved.

A man travelling on the airline’s 17-hour non-stop Perth-London flight did not budge for the entire flight – even to use the toilet.

The man with the bladder of steel was flying business class, which is very comfortable – but that doesn’t explain his stamina. Researchers at the University of Sydney were amazed to find the man stayed in his seat for the entire duration of the flight – forget strolling the aisle or getting up to stretch, let alone visiting the loo.

Volunteers on Qantas flights were fitted with wearable technology to measure how flying affects them and how they behave. It monitors their mental state, sleep patterns, stress levels and recovery from jet-lag.

Game changer. The Boeing 777X

Amazed at the man who never moved, awed researchers double-checked the equipment’s functionality to ensure it was working correctly, the Independent reported.

The subject took no steps at all and just stayed there, Professor Stephen Simpson from the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney said.

The average adult is believed to urinate about four to seven times per day – but apparently not this man.

Meanwhile, Qantas gave some hints about its Project Sunrise at this week’s International Air Transport Association annual meeting in Sydney. The carrier is looking at non-stop services from eastern Australia to New York and London using aircraft with about 300 seats, such as an ultra-long-range version of the A350 or the new Boeing 777X.

That might be bad news for Perth, but Qantas is convinced a market for ultra-long-haul flights exists from Sydney, Melbourne and perhaps Brisbane. The airline is in talks with Airbus and Boeing and hopes a technical evaluation can be finished by the end of this year, letting it place orders in 2109 for delivery in 2022, AirlineRatings.com has reported.

Qantas is looking at different zones in economy and premium economy and is keeping its options flexible.

  • Source: A eGlobal TravelMedia release by Peter Needham