Qantas has been forced to push back the launch of its non-stop flights between Sydney and London and New York again due to delivery delays at Airbus.
The non-stop flights, first announced in 2022 and originally due to launch in 2025, will shave up to four hours off the total journey time between the capital cities.
However, the new ultra-long-range A350-1000 required to operate the first flights, which was due to be delivered by the end of this year, will not be handed over to Qantas until April 2027, according to Airbus.
This means that flights won’t be able to launch in the first half of next year as planned, as pilots will need to be trained on the new model.
Qantas told Travel Gossip that it will announce the new timings for the first non-stop flights in June, adding that pilot training on a flight simulator in Sydney is ‘well underway’.
They added: “While the first aircraft delivery has shifted to April 2027, the next four will follow in quick succession, putting us back on our original schedule by November.
“We continue to work closely with Airbus on the delivery and certification process that will enable us to begin operating these history-making ultra-long-haul flights.”
It has not yet said whether London or New York will be the first to get non-stop flights to Sydney.
