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Qantas has celebrated the 60th anniversary of its services between Australia and the UK, better known as the Kangaroo Route.

The first ever Qantas flight between Australia and the UK left Sydney on 1 December 1947, an occasion that marked the beginning of a new era of transportation between the two countries, chief executive Geoff Dixon said.

It was not the one-stop service that fliers know now, however, as it took a total of 93 hours, 55 of which were spent in the air, and made stops in six different cities between Sydney and London.

The six decades that have elapsed since that convoluted journey have turned the Kangaroo Route into one of the world's most important and celebrated air routes, Mr Dixon said.

'The Kangaroo Route helped seal Qantas' reputation as a leader in long distance international air travel,' the chief executive added.

'While changes in air travel over the last 60 years have been spectacular, this particular route has always had an iconic status for us - and for the broader aviation industry.'

Mr Dixon said that one of the biggest changes over the past 60 years has been the cost of travel. In 1947 a return fare from Australia to England would have cost 585 Australian pounds, more than 80 times the average weekly wage.

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