Qantas And Airbus Overcome Regulatory Hurdle For Project Sunrise

Qantas has taken a major step toward gaining clearance for its Project Sunrise ultra-long-haul initiative after European regulators approved a key aircraft modification that had delayed the program.

Project Sunrise is aimed at operating record-breaking flights, initially from Sydney to London and New York, beginning in mid-2026. Qantas first announced the program in 2017, so there would be almost a decade from inception to launch due to a long gestation period and setbacks that were largely beyond the airline’s control.

• European regulators are satisfied with changes to the Airbus A350-1000 extra fuel tank
• Airline executives are confident in the revised 2026 target

The Australian carrier was poised to order modified versions of the Airbus A350-1000 for the initiative in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic put the plan on ice. Qantas finally ordered 12 of the aircraft in 2022, with service entry planned in late 2025, but another delay in February of this year pushed this target back about six months.

The latest holdup came from the European certification process for the modified A350-1000s. Airbus added an extra center fuel tank as part its specifications for the long-range version of this aircraft. However, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) asked for a redesign of this fuel tank.

EASA has since approved the extra fuel tank, Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson confirmed at a briefing on the sidelines of the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Annual General Meeting in Dubai. This means the airline is “feeling very optimistic about the delivery timetable” for the A350-1000s, she said.

Airbus is also upbeat about progress on Project Sunrise following the fuel tank approval. “We are on track for certification of [all] the modifications to the aircraft and first delivery in mid-2026,” the manufacturer told Aviation Week.

Hudson’s comments indicate that Qantas’ enthusiasm for Project Sunrise has not waned despite the delays and the carrier’s leadership transition. The project was initiated and avidly backed by former CEO Alan Joyce, whom Hudson replaced in September. Qantas remains fully committed to the ambitious plan and is “very excited” about launching it, Hudson said.

In the meantime, more “economic proof points” about the viability of the Project Sunrise flights are emerging, Cam Wallace, Qantas CEO for international and freight, said at the IATA meeting. Since the plan was first mooted, the carrier has added multiple flights of more than 15 hr. to Europe and North America using Boeing 787-9s, and these are among its best-performing financially, Wallace said.

Qantas’ flights in the 15-17-hr. range are from Perth to London and Rome, from Melbourne to Dallas and from Auckland to New York. Both of the initial Project Sunrise flights are estimated at 19-20 hr.

The Sunrise flights will complement Qantas’ current network and boost revenue, Wallace said. The airline is increasingly optimistic about the “premium-dense” configuration on the Sunrise aircraft. Wallace noted that Qantas is seeing growing demand for premium products on long-haul aircraft, such as its 787-9s and Airbus A380s.

Qantas has been using its flight planning system to monitor the proposed Sunrise routes and gather data on optimal tracks based on wind and other factors, Wallace said. The airline is confident it will be able to develop a flight plan to account for any airspace restrictions that may still exist when Sunrise launches. Qantas is also continuing to work with Rolls-Royce on the engine specifications for these aircraft.

The airline is planning more international medium- and long-haul additions before launching its Sunrise routes. Some of these stem from a new deal it reached with Perth Airport on May 31.

Qantas intends to develop Perth as its second-largest international hub. The carrier is due to launch Perth-Paris flights in July and has announced routes from Perth to Johannesburg and Auckland beginning in 2025.

In the longer term, deliveries of additional 787s and A350s could allow new routes from Perth to destinations in Europe and Africa, Hudson said. And the arrival of long-range Airbus A321XLRs would enable narrowbody flights from Perth to markets such as India, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore.

Qantas sees a lot of growth potential in India in particular, Wallace said. The carrier operates a route from Melbourne to New Delhi and plans to increase frequency on its Sydney-Bengaluru service. Qantas also announced an expansion of its partnership with Indian carrier IndiGo in May.

India accounts for just 3% of Qantas’ international capacity. But Wallace noted that “the economic fundamentals [in India] are really compelling for us—we’re going to invest more in that market.”