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Qantas has announced that the Sydney to London route will be the initial service for its highly anticipated “Project Sunrise,” featuring the world’s longest non-stop commercial flight, scheduled to begin in October 2027.

Spanning over 16,000 kilometers, the service will link the two cities without any intermediate stop for the first time.

The Australian airlinehas also introduced the first of its uniquely adapted Airbus A350-1000ULR planes designed for this route. The flight duration between Sydney and London is anticipated to vary from 19 to 22 hours.

Project Sunrisewill ultimately link Australia’s eastern coastline with additional global locations, with Sydney to New York already confirmed as the subsequent route after Sydney to London. The schedule for these services will be revealed next year.

“Qantas was founded on the idea that Australia’s remoteness from the rest of the world should never be a barrier,” stated Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson.

The courageous mindset of our people across generations has shaped this journey from the beginning, and now marks the most important milestone in this mission throughout our 105-year history.

Since our initial flight along the Kangaroo Route in 1947, which included seven stops on the way to London, each new generation of aircraft has eliminated one of the stops. Today, we’re removing the final one.

In 2017, we pledged that Qantas would overcome the last challenge in long-distance air travel, establishing a direct link between Australia’s eastern coast and London, an achievement that has never been accomplished before. Starting in October 2027, this commitment will turn into reality.

Qantas’ customised A350-1000ULR

The present longest continuous non-stop flightpassenger flightIs Singapore Airlines’ route from Singapore to New York, spanning 15,349 kilometers in nearly 19 hours.

A major distinction in passenger comfort among airlines is that Singapore Airlines’ flight SQ24 does not offer economy class seating.

Although a typical Airbus A350-1000 has a capacity for 480 passengers, Qantas’ modified A350-1000ULR will accommodate only 238, featuring 140 economy class seats, on routes from Sydney to London.

The longest non-stop flight available for economy class travelers today is operated by Qantas, connecting London with Perth on Australia’s western coast. This journey spans 14,499 kilometers and takes between 16 to 18 hours.

Airbus has specifically designed the A350-1000ULR for Project Sunrise, featuring an extra 20,000-liter fuel tank, allowing it to travel over 16,000 kilometers without stopping for up to 22 hours. Qantas plans to receive 12 planes in total, each offering 238 seats spread across four different cabin classes.

A second plane is currently in the middle of an eight-week testing and approval process following its initial flight this month.