Qantas will begin non-stop flights between Sydney and New York in mid-2028, linking Australia with the US east coast by direct air service for the first time.
The route will be operated by specially configured Airbus A350-1000 ultra-long-range aircraft, fitted with an extra 20,000-litre fuel tank. The planes will be capable of travelling more than 16,000 kilometres and flying for up to 22 hours without stopping.
Qantas said the service would cut about three hours from the typical Sydney-to-New York journey. Tickets are due to go on sale in August next year.
The announcement was made in New York by Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson, who said the route marked the completion of a long-held ambition for the airline.
“Conquering the tyranny of distance has been part of who Qantas is from the very beginning,” Ms Hudson said. “Reaching New York non-stop completes a vision we set out many years ago, and it’s a moment of enormous pride for the thousands of our people who have been working hard to make Project Sunrise a reality.”
Project Sunrise aircraft and cabins
Qantas expects to receive 12 A350-1000ULR aircraft, each configured with 238 seats across four cabins. The Sydney-New York service will follow the launch of direct flights between Sydney and London in October 2027.
The aircraft will have six first-class suites, 52 business suites, 40 premium economy seats and 140 economy seats. The first-class and business cabins have been designed by David Caon, who has also worked on Qantas cabin interiors.
Qantas said the cabin lighting and service would be designed to reduce the effects of jet lag. A dedicated wellness zone will also allow passengers to stretch their legs during the flight.
The first aircraft is expected to be delivered to Qantas by April 2027. In July, one of the specially fitted planes completed a 24-hour and 24-second non-stop flight from Melbourne to Toulouse in France as part of its certification process.
The airline is betting that travellers on the US east coast will pay a premium to fly directly to Sydney rather than connecting through Los Angeles or other major hubs. Qantas said almost two million passengers had used its non-stop long-haul services between Perth and London, Rome and Paris since 2018.
