The new direct service is a decade in the making and a far cry from the first services between Sydney and London in 1947, which took four days and had seven stops across the world, including in Asia, Africa and continental Europe.
The non-stop Sydney to London flights are expected to take up to 22 hours and will be operated on new Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft, the first of which completed its inaugural test flight at the start of June. The aircraft model has been designed specifically for Project Sunrise.
“This aircraft has been designed from the ground up for ultra long-haul travel, with a cabin built around science and combatting jetlag, with an onboard experience purpose-built for the length of the journey,” said said Qantas CEO, Vanessa Hudson.
The new aircraft will have six first class suites, 52 business class suites, 40 seats in premium economy and 140 seats in economy and economy plus. Each plane will also have a wellbeing zone between economy and premium economy for stretching and self-service refreshments.
Qantas is set to receive 12 of the A350-1000ULR aircraft, which have an extra 20,000L fuel tank, enabling them to fly up to 22 hours.
“Qantas was built on the belief that Australia’s distance from the rest of the world should never stand in the way,” said Hudson.
“The pioneering spirit of generations of our people has forged that path ever since, and today is the most significant step in that mission in our 105-year history.
“Since we first flew the Kangaroo Route in 1947, where we stopped seven times on the way to London, every generation of aircraft has taken a stop out of the journey. Today, we’re taking out the last one.
“We made a commitment in 2017 that Qantas would conquer the final frontier of long-haul aviation and connect Australia’s east coast directly to London, something that has never before been possible. From October 2027, that promise becomes reality.”
Bookings for the first Project Sunrise flights will go on sale next February.
Following the debut of Sydney-London Project Sunrise flights, the next ultra long-haul non-stop route to launch will be Sydney to New York. Details of this second Project Sunrise route are not expected until next year.
