Man mystifies researchers after not moving for 17-hour flight between London and Perth

How much food and drink the passenger consumed is unknown

A man travelling on Qantas’ recently launched 17-hour non-stop flight from Perth to London has left researchers mystified after not moving for the entire flight - even to use the bathroom.

Researchers based at The University of Sydney investigating passenger comfort on long-haul flights were amazed when one traveller remained in his seat for the duration of the flight.

In the first collaboration of its kind between an airline and a research institution, volunteers on Qantas flights have been fitted with wearable technology to measure how flying affects mental state, anxiety levels, sleep patterns and recovery from jet-lag.

Awed researchers even double-checked the equipment’s functionality, which was attached to the passenger’s wrists and thighs, to ensure that it was working correctly.

“The one thing we couldn't believe was how little [he] moved. One subject took zero steps,” said Professor Stephen Simpson from the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney.

As a business class passenger, it was reported that the man was so comfortable he had no need to move, with his chair turning into a bed.

The record-breaking route includes a range of measures aimed at increasing customer comfort, including temperature, lighting, meal timing and menu options.

Researchers at the Charles Perkin Centre, which focuses on “lifestyle diseases”, such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease, are hoping to discover more about jet-lag, although much more work is required before sufficient data is gathered.

The average adult is believed to urinate approximately four to seven times per day, although this is dependent on the volume and type of food and drink consumed, according to Neil Grafstein, assistant professor of urology at Mount Sinai hospital in New York. How much food and drink the passenger consumed is unknown.