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Long flights are making a comeback. It is one of the clearest signs yet that airlines are betting that the rebound of international travel, devastated in the Covid pandemic, will continue to grow. On Wednesday, Qantas launched service between New York and Sydney with a stop in Auckland, New Zealand, on Boeing 787 Dreamliners, instead of a previous stop in Los Angeles. But the Australian carrier is focusing on even longer routes: Nonstop flights from Sydney to New York and London. Flights could clock in at around 20 hours, enough time to watch most of the Star Wars Skywalker Saga. “You don’t have to take your bags off, you don’t have to transfer, you don’t have a chance of misconnecting,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce told CNBC on Thursday at a showcase of the airline’s new cabins in New York. The airline estimates the new routes could reduce travel time by more than three hours compared with flights with stops in other airports. For eight years, Qantas has been working with sleep scientists who have studied passenger moods, sleep patterns and food intake in hopes of limiting the impacts of jet lag on super-long flights, with test runs in 2019. They found that delaying meal service and keeping passengers awake longer with cabin lights help to fight the impacts of jet lag when they arrive at their destination. Qantas is planning to operate the new nonstops on ultra-long-range Airbus A350-1000 planes starting as soon as late 2025. They will seat 238 passengers, far fewer than the more than 350 passengers that standard versions of the planes can fit. Qantas limited the number of people on board to fit more spacious seating and to account for weight and the plane’s range. The airline has ordered 12 of the special planes. “Qantas is the only airline wanting to do this. Because from Australia, we’re so far away from everywhere that we can justify at least 12 [of these] aircraft,” Joyce said.<br/>

Qantas has unveiled the final details of its long-anticipated Airbus A350 ultra-long-haul cabins that will be used on its Project Sunrise routes non-stop to Paris, New York and London from Sydney and Melbourne in late 2025. Speaking at a press conference in New York one day after the inaugural QF3’s non-stop flight from Auckland, Qantas CE Alan Joyce revealed details for the A350’s economy and premium-economy class cabins, as well as a specially designed area for passengers’ wellness. Though none of the rumoured bunk-beds or gyms materialised, the 12 specially designed Airbus A350s will introduce a “Wellbeing Zone” between the premium-economy and economy cabins which gives passengers space to stretch, with sculpted walls and integrated handles to facilitate balance. Guided content will be televised from an entertainment screen to encourage movement, but the area has also been designed for socialising with fellow passengers, with a self-serve snack bar. While the designs for its first and business-class cabins were revealed in February, details of its much-anticipated premium-economy and economy seats – where 180 of the aircraft’s 238 passengers will be seated for the flights lasting up to 22 hours – were kept under wraps. With 33 inches of legroom (84 centimetres), the 140 seats in economy will have the largest pitch of any Qantas economy cabin, which is one more inch than the seats in its Boeing 787 Dreamliners. In a 3-3-3 configuration, the seats will include a six-way adjustable headrest, footnet and an extra shelf for portable devices. The 34-centimetre seatback screens will contain Bluetooth connectivity allowing passengers to bring their own headsets and still be able to tune in to Qantas’ inflight entertainment. Each seat will also contain two fast-charging USB outlets.<br/>