Qantas has once again delayed its planned non-stop service between Sydney and London, with flights now scheduled to start in October 2027. The airline has quietly dropped references to direct flights from Melbourne and Brisbane.
Project Sunrise Faces Further Delays
The airline noted on Wednesday that aircraft delivery, ticket sales, and service commencement are subject to regulatory approvals and aircraft certification. Qantas previously blamed delays on extended wait times for delivery of specially designed Airbus A350s.
Project Sunrise was announced in 2017, with the Covid-19 pandemic pushing back the predicted 2022 launch. Since then, the service has been repeatedly delayed. In November 2025, the company said the service would start in the first half of 2027, with Airbus set to deliver the first specially configured A350-1000ULR by late 2026. However, Airbus revealed this month that the first aircraft would be delivered in April 2027, pushing back the start date again.
Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson said on Wednesday: “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 … From October 2027, that promise becomes reality.”
Aircraft Specifications and Route Details
Direct flights between Sydney and London are expected to be four hours shorter than typical one-stop flights. The A350-1000ULR is designed to fly 16,000 km over 22 hours non-stop, using an extra 20,000-litre fuel tank. Qantas is buying 12 aircraft with 238 seats, rather than the 300-plus seats on other A350-1000s.
The first Project Sunrise Sydney-to-London tickets could go on sale in February 2027, the airline said on Wednesday, though prices were not disclosed. The service will offer fewer economy-class seats than other Qantas long-haul flights, with 40% of seats being premium offerings.
Future Plans and Market Demand
Qantas also plans a Sydney-to-New York City non-stop route, with a launch date to be revealed sometime in 2027. The airline previously mentioned Brisbane and Melbourne as planned hubs for direct flights to London and New York, but the latest announcement did not mention those cities. Hudson reportedly said Qantas would adjust routes based on customer demand.
The company estimated over 12,000 passengers flew between Sydney and London each week in 2025, compared with 7,500 on the Melbourne route and 5,300 for Brisbane. About 2,500 people flew from Sydney to New York weekly in 2025.
