United Airlines has unveiled plans for a new non-stop service from Sydney to Houston.
From January, its Dreamliner jets will be offering the second-longest continuous flight in the world, covering 13,834 km - second only to United's 14,000 km Los Angeles to Singapore route to be launched later this year.
Passengers will be in the air for 17.5 hours from Houston to Sydney, and a couple of hours less when setting off from Australia's largest city.
While it may not be the preference of those who dislike being airborne for a long time, it will appeal strongly to those who like to get from A to B as fast as possible.
The longest continuous flight at present is the 17.5-hour Doha to Auckland service run by Qatar Airways, which covers 14,535 km. However, the Los Angeles to Singapore flight will take 17 hours and 55 minutes.
With aircraft able to fly further without refuelling, the appeal of travelling to Australia to invest or visit may increase, as overall travel times will be cut and there will be less time spent changing planes at airports. The great benefit of the link to Houston will lie in the large number of connections that can be made in the US and Canada with the Texan city.
President of United Airlines Scott Kirkby said: "This new route will serve more than 70 cities across North America, making the one-stop service to Sydney faster and more convenient than ever before."
Mayor of Houston Sylvester Turner commented: "We are looking forward to visiting Sydney and welcoming our Australian visitors with open arms to Texas."
United Airlines already flies directly to Sydney from Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Sydney's capacity to hosts some of the largest and longest-range aircraft in the world enabled it to remain accessible around the world despite the long distances involved.
This includes the Boeing Airbus 380, the largest passenger aircraft in the world.
