Qantas has confirmed the first Project Sunrise route after the new A350 completed its first flight. The airline will launch non‑stop Sydney–London flights in October 2027. It will add non‑stop Sydney–New York flights later that year.
The announcement comes as Qantas revealed its first Airbus A350‑1000ULR in full Qantas livery at Airbus’ facility in Toulouse. This aircraft is the result of years of development to conquer the final frontier of long‑haul travel under Project Sunrise.
A second A350‑1000ULR is already moving through its eight‑week testing and certification program. It completed its first flight earlier this month.
Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson says the program represents “a new dawn of travel.” It removes stopovers and makes long‑distance journeys faster and more direct.
Hudson said:
Qantas was built on the belief that Australia’s distance from the rest of the world should never stand in the way. The pioneering spirit of generations of our people has forged that path ever since, and today is the most significant step in that mission in our 105-year history.
Since we first flew the Kangaroo Route in 1947, where we stopped seven times on the way to London, every generation of aircraft has taken a stop out of the journey. Today, we’re taking out the last one.
We made a commitment in 2017 that Qantas would conquer the final frontier of long-haul aviation and connect Australia’s east coast directly to London, something that has never before been possible. From October 2027, that promise becomes reality.
Flight Details
Each Project Sunrise flight will run for 22 hours. Qantas will use modified Airbus A350‑1000ULR aircraft with an extra fuel tank. This extends the range to 18,000 km. The Sydney–London route covers about 17,000 km, making it one of the longest commercial flights ever operated.
The new non‑stop flights will cut up to four hours compared to current one‑stop services. These historic ultra‑long‑haul flights will operate alongside Qantas’ existing Perth–London and Sydney–Singapore–London routes.
The first Sydney–London Project Sunrise flights will go on sale in February 2027.
