Routes from Sydney to London and New York are slated to start in late 2025 after the airline unveiled an order for a fleet of ultra-long-range aircraft.
Qantas has officially placed Project Sunrise on hold, citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on air travel. The airline had planned to order Airbus A350-1000 for the ultra-long-haul routes.
Qantas has selected European manufacturer Airbus to supply up to 12 A350-1000 aircraft capable of flying the world’s longest commercial routes from the east coast of Australia to London and New York. The Oneworld member will make a decision whether to push ahead with its ultra-long-haul Project Sunrise plans in March 2020.
Qantas could open ultra-long-haul routes from Australia to a variety of destinations in Europe and North America, chief executive Alan Joyce has said after the airline completed a test of the longest non-stop commercial passenger flight.
Qantas is to undertake three ultra long-haul research flights as part of its planning to operate non-stop routes from the east coast of Australia to London and New York. Chief executive Alan Joyce said there was “plenty of enthusiasm” for the routes, with a decision over their launch expected before the end of the year.
Qantas will on Saturday launch a daily service linking London and Perth, becoming the first non-stop regular link between the UK and Australia. Routesonline looks in more detail at what is set to become one of the world’s longest flights.
Qantas has called on Airbus and Boeing to conquer the "last frontier in global aviation" by developing an aircraft that can fly non-stop from Sydney to London.
