Qantas to start world’s longest direct flights from Australia in 2027
Qantas Airways has said it will start its “Project Sunrise” ultra long-haul flights in early 2027 as the Australian carrier bets on strong passenger demand for direct routes. Vanessa Hudson, chief executive, said the first of 12 Airbus A350-1000 planes on order would be delivered at the end of next year. The airline plans to offer customers some of the world’s longest flights between London and Sydney, and New York and Sydney. No decision has yet been made about which route will be launched first. The flights are expected to take up to 19 hours. Passengers on the aircraft are expected to pay an estimated 20% premium on London to Sydney tickets, but Hudson said the airline was getting positive customer feedback on its current direct service between London and Perth that it launched in 2018. Project Sunrise is part of a wider refresh of the airline’s fleet with previous plans to upgrade its planes delayed in recent years. When the carrier ordered its planes in 2022, it had announced a 2025 launch for the ultra long-haul flights. It was then pushed back in part after regulators asked Airbus to redesign the extra fuel tank on the aircraft. Qantas was still “very confident” in demand for the services, Hudson told reporters on the sidelines of an Airbus event in Toulouse. She added that customer feedback had shown passengers were prepared to pay for the premium experience. “There are absolutely customers who say, ‘I value getting there in one stop. I value point to point. I value the premium experience, and I’m prepared to pay for that’,” said Hudson. Given the flights’ length, the airline is working with the Charles Perkins Centre in Sydney to study how passengers will be able to manage jet lag, “when to eat, when to sleep, when to move”, said Hudson. “We will be building that into an integral part of the in-flight experience.” Qantas pilots have collected 12 months’ worth of wind data and are doing flight planning simulations. “There will be limits in terms of payload we will be able to manage,” said Hudson on the number of passengers, cargo and baggage the plane can carry. The airline will still need to carry out local certification flights before starting services. <br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2025-03-26/oneworld/qantas-to-start-world2019s-longest-direct-flights-from-australia-in-2027
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Qantas to start world’s longest direct flights from Australia in 2027
Qantas Airways has said it will start its “Project Sunrise” ultra long-haul flights in early 2027 as the Australian carrier bets on strong passenger demand for direct routes. Vanessa Hudson, chief executive, said the first of 12 Airbus A350-1000 planes on order would be delivered at the end of next year. The airline plans to offer customers some of the world’s longest flights between London and Sydney, and New York and Sydney. No decision has yet been made about which route will be launched first. The flights are expected to take up to 19 hours. Passengers on the aircraft are expected to pay an estimated 20% premium on London to Sydney tickets, but Hudson said the airline was getting positive customer feedback on its current direct service between London and Perth that it launched in 2018. Project Sunrise is part of a wider refresh of the airline’s fleet with previous plans to upgrade its planes delayed in recent years. When the carrier ordered its planes in 2022, it had announced a 2025 launch for the ultra long-haul flights. It was then pushed back in part after regulators asked Airbus to redesign the extra fuel tank on the aircraft. Qantas was still “very confident” in demand for the services, Hudson told reporters on the sidelines of an Airbus event in Toulouse. She added that customer feedback had shown passengers were prepared to pay for the premium experience. “There are absolutely customers who say, ‘I value getting there in one stop. I value point to point. I value the premium experience, and I’m prepared to pay for that’,” said Hudson. Given the flights’ length, the airline is working with the Charles Perkins Centre in Sydney to study how passengers will be able to manage jet lag, “when to eat, when to sleep, when to move”, said Hudson. “We will be building that into an integral part of the in-flight experience.” Qantas pilots have collected 12 months’ worth of wind data and are doing flight planning simulations. “There will be limits in terms of payload we will be able to manage,” said Hudson on the number of passengers, cargo and baggage the plane can carry. The airline will still need to carry out local certification flights before starting services. <br/>
