Australian airline Qantas is taking the next step in its ambitious Project Sunrise project—direct, nonstop flights from Australia to London and New York.
🛫 Assembly of the first A350-1000ULR aircraft, designed for these ultra-long-haul routes, has been completed at the Airbus plant in Toulouse. Delivery of the first aircraft is scheduled for the second half of 2026, with scheduled flights scheduled to begin in the first half of 2027.
The A350-1000ULR will be Qantas’ longest-range passenger aircraft ever, capable of flying for up to 22 hours and covering distances of over 16,700 km—for example, from Melbourne to New York. To achieve this, the aircraft has been equipped with an additional 20,000-liter fuel tank.
🏃♀️The cabin will feature only 238 seats instead of the standard 350–400 to ensure increased comfort. In addition to traditional classes of service, there will be a “Wellbeing Zone”—a space where passengers can stretch, do light exercise, drink water, and reduce jet lag during the ultra-long-haul flight.
💬 According to Qantas’ CEO, these flights will save up to four hours compared to connecting flights and will usher in a new era in aviation—”the era of direct, ultra-long-haul flights.”
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