Qantas has confirmed a daily non-stop service between Sydney and London will begin in October 2027, the first route of its Project Sunrise programme.
The 20-hour flight will be operated by specially configured Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft, which will have an extra fuel tank, extending the aircraft’s range to more than 16,000km.
The carrier will take delivery of 12 aircraft in total, each configured with 238 seats across four cabins. Journey time will be reduced by up to four hours.
Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson described the non-stop service as ‘the most significant step’ in the airline’s 105-year history.
She told a media briefing: “London is the biggest long-haul market for us, so first and foremost it’s where demand is greatest.
“And there’s a really nice tie to the history of Qantas – the Kangaroo Route has always connected Australia to the UK, it’s one of the oldest routes we’ve got.”
The announcement was welcomed by Audley Travel Senior Product Manager Tom Kendall, who said he expected the flight to Sydney without a stopover to be popular.
“It is also great news for clients who are keen to travel to Australia’s east coast but are constrained by the time they have available for their trip, as the faster journey opens up the area for trips of shorter durations.
“It also makes multi-destination Australasia trips that take in New Zealand and/or French Polynesia logistically simpler for those clients who have a limit to the amount of time they can be away,” Tom added.
Tickets are expected to go on sale in February 2027.
