MELBOURNE, Australia - MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - Qantas Airways is preparing to launch the longest nonstop commercial flight next year, offering up to 22 hours of direct travel between London and Sydney.

The Sydney-based airline presented its first specially adapted Airbus A350-1000 on Thursday. These aircraft will handle the regular 17,015-kilometer (10,573-mile) journey beginning in October next year. Travel times between the distant cities are projected to range from 19 to 22 hours.

Singapore Airlines currently holds the record for the longest scheduled direct flight, connecting its base to New York City. That 15,349-kilometer (9,537-mile) route takes under 19 hours.

A notable contrast lies in passenger options, since Singapore's Flight SQ24 excludes economy seating entirely.

While a standard Airbus A350-1000 accommodates up to 480 travelers, Qantas' customized A350-1000ULR will carry only 238 passengers, with 140 seated in economy for the London-Sydney service.

The longest economy direct flight available today is Qantas' London-Perth route on Australia's west coast. Covering 14,499 kilometers (9,009 miles), it lasts between 16 and 18 hours. Sydney lies on the east coast.

Sharon Petersen, chief executive of AirlineRatings, an Australia-based site that evaluates carriers on service and safety, noted that Qantas economy seats on the London-Sydney route will offer greater legroom than most long-haul competitors.

Economy travelers will also gain access to a Wellbeing Zone located between economy and premium economy sections, allowing them to move about and select drinks plus snacks.

Qantas has indicated that passengers will face higher fares for the nonstop option when bookings open in February compared with services stopping in Singapore. The airline claims the direct flights will reduce total travel time by as much as four hours.

Petersen described nonstop business class travel as appealing for those able to rest for eight hours without the disruption of a Singapore stopover.

Yet she would rather split the trip than endure 22 hours in economy.

"The reason for that is 22 hours is really daunting. If you get sat next to someone who's smelly, is perhaps really unwell and coughing, perhaps there's a baby sitting next to you that's having an uncomfortable flight or an oversized passenger who really needs two seats," Petersen said.

She views two shorter flights as the safer economy choice.

"If you've got it wrong on one flight, you might be okay on the next. You get a break," she said.

Petersen explained that the reduced seating on Qantas' A350-1000ULR improves comfort while offsetting the weight of an extra fuel tank holding 20,000 liters (5,283 gallons).

She added that such extended flights depend on premium passengers for profitability.

"Because the flight is so long, they can't rely on cargo because of the weight. So it really is a passenger-heavy aircraft and a premium passenger-heavy aircraft at that to get the profit margin," Petersen said.

After launching the direct Sydney-London service, Qantas plans its next ultralong-haul nonstop route to New York, covering a shorter 16,013 kilometers (9,950 miles).