Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife, Cherie, were part of a record-breaking flight from Brussels to Melbourne on his recent trip to Australia. The Blair’s chartered British Airways Boeing 777-200ER clocked the longest nonstop passenger flight by any aircraft, taking 18 hours 55 minutes to fly the 9200nm.

The trip was 25 minutes and 300nm longer than the previous record passenger flight set by Singapore Airlines from Singapore to New York.

Mr Blair’s specially equipped aircraft, GYMMO, was carrying just 50 passengers, 12 cabin crew, five BA support staff and four pilots. It was the same 2001 aircraft used by the Queen for her recent trip to the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and has ‘extra first class luxury’.

Captain Rod Mitchell said, “We were just getting our passengers from A to B. Not many people want to fl y 19 hours nonstop in an aircraft.” Mr Blair is reported to have commented on arrival,

“Where the b***** hell are we?” before going directly to the final day of the Games.