The longest direct flight in American Airlines’ history is in the books.
Flight AAL7 departed from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Saturday night and landed at Brisbane Airport (BNE) after nearly 16 hours and 8,300 miles traveled, according to the airline and FlightAware, a site that tracks flight paths.
The Boeing 787-9 took off at 9:57 p.m. CDT Saturday and landed about 33 minutes early on Monday at 4:57 a.m. AEST, the tracker shows.
The inaugural nonstop connection between the two cities was staffed with a crew of three pilots, a relief captain, and 11 flight attendants, an American Airlines spokesperson told USA TODAY Monday. The landing was livestreamed on Brisbane Airport’s YouTube channel.
The plane carries 285 passengers but American would not say how many people were on board.
More than 12,000 people watched the video, giving viewers “a front row window seat through runway-cam,” as noted by BNE.
At the gate event celebration at DFW Airport, customers received a gift bag that included a koala plushie, a commemorative postcard and a voucher for a free koala moment at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane, American Airlines told USA TODAY.
When the plane landed, footage shows crew members place American and Australian flags outside the cockpit while it is on the runway.
“This is not just linking two cities, this is linking two countries,” Peter Doherty, a Brisbane Airport spokesperson, said during the livestream. “Look at that! It’s fantastic!”
‘One of the most-tracked flights in the world’
Flight tracking service @Flightradar24DotCom predicted it would be one of the most tracked flights in the world, according to the airport based in Queensland.
The flight is the longest flight by distance in the American Airlines worldwide network as well as the longest flight in Brisbane Airport’s network, according to the airport.
Beginning Monday, with five flights a week in each direction, American Airlines will increase to daily flights from December through to the end of March, the airport said.
One-way flights, according to a Google Flights search on Monday started at $600 for economy seating.
“Today’s arrival of American Airlines from Dallas-Fort Worth is a landmark moment for Brisbane and Queensland,” Brisbane Airport CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff said. “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.
“From the Lone Star State to the Sunshine State, this new connection between two hubs unlocks incredible potential on both sides of the Pacific,” de Graaff added.
Cruising Altitude I slept through the longest flight in the world. Here’s my secret.
Next route set to depart Dallas Monday night
The new flight is predicted to bring “thousands of additional tourists to Queensland, boosting tourism jobs across the state,” airport officials wrote in the release.
“American Airlines’ entry into the market is a milestone moment, locking in Brisbane Airport’s 30th direct international connection, our 25th international airline, and Brisbane’s longest route,” de Graaff said when the route was announced in early February. “Its Dallas Fort Worth hub will provide travelers with a world of options in North, Central and South America.”
According to FlightAware, the next route is slated to depart Dallas at 10 p.m. Monday night and land in Brisbane Wednesday just after 5:30 a.m.
This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy. It was also updated to include new information.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: American Airlines flight to Brisbane marks airline’s longest ever
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