The launch of the world’s most ambitious new flight routes is getting closer. On Thursday, Qantas updated investors on its plans to connect Australia’s East Coast with Europe and North America.
Billed as ‘Project Sunrise,’ the new flights will operate nonstop from Sydney to both London and New York. Other departure points and destinations are due to be added as the program progresses. The name hints at the two sunrises that many passengers will see during the record-breaking journeys.
The ultra-long-haul city pairings are too far for existing aircraft to operate commercially. As a result, Qantas is working with Airbus to create a specially modified version of its popular A350 plane.
The A350-1000ULR – that’s Ultra Long Range – is currently in development. It will be able to fly further than any other civil aircraft and bring key Qantas destinations into nonstop reach. At present, cities such as London and New York can only be reached from Sydney following a refueling stop in Singapore and Auckland respectively.
Given the pioneering nature of the program and well-documented supply chain issues, challenges and hold-ups have been expected. Last year, the airline pushed back its schedule by six months, citing “manufacturing delays” at Airbus. Critics speculated if this was the first in a series of possible setbacks.
Qantas CEO’s Project Update
Silencing the cynics in a fairly upbeat assessment on Thursday, Qantas confirmed that its first Project Sunrise A350-1000ULR will enter the final assembly stage in September. This will be followed by flight testing ahead of its delivery to the airline in the second half of 2026.
Speaking as the company published its half-year financial results, Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson sounded positive about progress at Project Sunrise. “We still feel that Airbus is delivering right on time,” the Qantas chief said, adding that precise timelines will be firmed up as the first aircraft delivery gets closer.
The Australian flag carrier is already familiar with Airbus long-haul aircraft. It operates the mid-size A330 on Asia-Pacific routes and the superjumbo A380 to flagship longer-haul destinations.
However, the arrival of the specially modified A350 will require additional pilot training. The airline will also want a reasonable lead-in time ahead of the first flights to maximize sales. This is particularly true for ultra-long-haul routes that passengers typically book in advance.
When asked if this means passenger flights will begin in 2027, Hudson said, “that is what we’ve actually been saying.”
Onboard Project Sunrise Flights
Qantas is promising an “unrivaled point-to-point premium offering” onboard the new aircraft. The planes will have four cabin classes, with a total capacity of 238 passengers. This configuration is due to have six first-class suites, 52 business class seats, 40 premium economy options, and 140 economy seats.
With flight times of more than 19 hours, Qantas is developing bespoke features, such as wellness zones. It claims the cabin interior and service design will be “influenced by medical and scientific research.” Notably, this space will be available to all passengers, regardless of their cabin of travel.
The carrier already has extensive experience operating very long flights. Last year, it launched a nonstop route from Perth in Western Australia to Paris. It follows a similar path to Qantas’ other ultra-long-haul services from Perth to London and Rome. These European flights are operated by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, with onward connections available in Perth to other Australian cities.
Qantas has previously reported high occupancy and passenger satisfaction on its Perth-London route. The airline said on average, around nine in every 10 seats were occupied, suggesting many long-haul travelers are happy to strap in for 17+ hours to avoid layovers.
Qantas’ Fleet Transformation
The new Project Sunrise aircraft aren’t the only new Airbus planes heading Down Under.
Qantas is due to receive an initial batch of 28 A321XLRs this year. These are a direct replacement for the airline’s existing Boeing 737s. The previous-generation jets are due to leave the fleet over the next decade.
There are high hopes for the new aircraft, which Airbus has coined the ‘XLR’ or ‘Xtra Long Range’. Qantas says it will open up new direct Australian domestic and short-haul international routes.
In line with global industry trends, Qantas is using the new plane to boost the number of premium options. The XLR will have 20 business class seats in a 2-2 configuration, representing a 66% increase on earlier models.
Retraining of pilots for the A321XLR is already underway, with around 240 flight crew due to be trained over the next three years. A further 2,000 cabin crew will also complete conversion training to learn about the new plane.
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