Qantas to launch world's longest nonstop commercial flight between Sydney and London

Qantas plans to launch what it says will be the world's longest nonstop commercial flight in October 2027, connecting Sydney and London with a journey expected to last up to 22 hours.

The Australian airline announced Wednesday that nonstop flights between the two cities will begin operating as part of its long-awaited Project Sunrise initiative, which aims to connect Australia's east coast directly with major global destinations.

Qantas unveiled the first of its specially configured Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft at Airbus' manufacturing facility in Toulouse, France. The aircraft has been modified for ultra-long-haul travel and includes an additional 20,000-liter fuel tank that allows it to travel more than 16,000 kilometers, or nearly 10,000 miles, nonstop.

The Sydney-London route will become the first nonstop service between Australia's east coast and the United Kingdom. According to Qantas, the flights will reduce travel time by as much as four hours compared with existing one-stop itineraries.

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"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," Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said in a statement. "Today, we're taking out the last one."

The launch marks a significant milestone for Project Sunrise, an initiative first announced by Qantas in 2017 to push the limits of commercial long-haul travel.

Qantas said the A350-1000ULR aircraft were designed specifically for the project and will carry 238 passengers across four cabin classes. The airline plans to take delivery of 12 of the aircraft.

The carrier said nonstop Sydney-London flights will go on sale in February 2027 ahead of the service launch later that year.

The route is expected to surpass Singapore Airlines' nonstop service between Singapore and New York, currently regarded as one of the world's longest regularly scheduled commercial flights.

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Qantas cited recent research showing growing demand for ultra-long-haul travel, with 70% of surveyed Australians indicating they would consider booking a nonstop flight of that length. Among premium travelers, interest rose to 80%, according to the airline.

The company said more than 1.7 million passengers have flown on its existing nonstop long-haul routes since 2018, including services linking Perth with London, Rome and Paris.

Qantas plans to expand Project Sunrise beyond London. The airline confirmed that Sydney-to-New York will be the next route added to the network, with additional details expected next year.

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The airline said pilots, cabin crew and maintenance personnel are already undergoing training ahead of the aircraft's arrival and entry into service.