Qantas To Launch Supermoon Scenic Flight on May 26

The Image Above: Qantas Boeing 787 Dreamliner seen at New York's John F Kennedy International Airport. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

On May 26, a Qantas Boeing 787 Dreamliner will depart Sydney Airport to take a bunch of astronomy fans into the air to get a surreal perspective on the next supermoon that is set to get close to the Earth. 

The Supermoon, also known as perigee according to Simple Flying, will see the moon come within 222,022 miles of the Earth, which will cause a total lunar eclipse between 21:11 and 21:25 Australian time. 

This is due to the Earth passing perfectly between the moon and the sun, causing temporary darkness.

It is understood that upon departure from Sydney, the aircraft will head to its maximum cruise altitude of 43,000 feet in order to cause no atmospheric disturbances during this occurrence. 

Only 100 people will get the chance to go on this flight, with tickets on sale for access in all three cabins, being economy, premium economy, and business. 

Commenting on the news was Stephanie Tully, the Chief Customer Officer of Qantas who expressed excitement over this project.

“We are very excited to now be doing a supermoon scenic flight and the 787 has the largest windows of any passenger aircraft so it’s ideal for moon gazing. We think this flight has great appeal for anyone with a passion for astronomy, science, space photography, aviation, or just keen to do something a little ‘out of this world’.”

Qantas has previously done sightseeing flights like this in the past, such as charter flights to Antarctica and to other areas of Australia. 

The Image Above: QF787 performed the last scenic flight across the east coast of Australia before heading in the direction of Ayers Rock. Click here to access the data!

The last one was operated by VH-ZND, the airline's Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner as it took a massive eight-hour flight across the east coast of Australia before heading in the direction of Ayers Rock and back to Sydney. 

In-all, this flight will be another significant addition to its sightseeing charters and could prove to be an additional money-maker down the line, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic disabling any element of international revenue for the airline.