Qantas plans direct Sydney–New York flight in 2028
The Australian airline is targeting a non-stop service of around eighteen hours.
Qantas wants to fly directly from Sydney to New York from mid-2028. The route will form part of Project Sunrise, through which the Australian airline aims to offer non-stop long-haul flights to Europe and North America.
According to Qantas, the flight between Sydney and New York should take around eighteen hours. This would eliminate the usual stopover, often in Asia or on the US west coast. The airline says travellers could save around three hours compared with existing connections.
The new service follows the planned launch of a direct flight between Sydney and London in October 2027. Qantas presents London as the first Project Sunrise route; New York will be the second destination. The airline plans to announce the precise timetable and frequency at a later date.
Qantas will use specially adapted Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft for the service. The aircraft will be fitted with an additional fuel tank of around 20,000 litres and are designed for distances of more than 16,000 kilometres. The configuration has 238 seats divided across four travel classes.
The aircraft will have fewer seats than a standard version of the A350. Qantas says this will create space for additional fuel, facilities for long flights and a cabin layout intended to make the time on board more tolerable. The announced facilities include a separate area for movement and cabin lighting designed to support passengers’ day–night rhythm.
The route is also a commercial gamble. A non-stop flight saves travellers time, but requires a great deal of fuel and limits the amount of cargo the aircraft can carry. The business model will therefore need to rely mainly on enough paying passengers in the premium cabins, while demand for long-distance travel between Australia and the US east coast must also remain strong enough.
Qantas has ordered twelve A350-1000ULR aircraft for Project Sunrise. The airline does warn, however, that the plans remain dependent on aircraft deliveries, certification and approvals from regulators. The announcement makes the route more concrete, but is not yet a guarantee that flights will operate daily according to a definitive schedule.
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The core facts can be found in Qantas material and are supplemented by independent reporting. The main uncertainties concern the definitive timetable and operations following certification.
- confirmed Qantas wants to launch the Sydney–New York non-stop flight in mid-2028. — Mentioned in current reporting on the announcement and in Qantas’ plans for 2028 and beyond. source
- confirmed The flight takes around eighteen hours and saves approximately three hours compared with existing routes. — The duration and time saving were given by Qantas in reporting on the route. source
- confirmed Sydney–London is scheduled to be the first Project Sunrise route from October 2027. — Qantas names October 2027 as the launch date for Sydney–London. source
- confirmed The route will use a modified Airbus A350-1000ULR with an additional tank of around 20,000 litres. — These technical specifications appear in Qantas’ official material. source
- confirmed The Project Sunrise aircraft will have 238 seats in four cabins. — Qantas lists this configuration in its route and aircraft documentation. source
- confirmed Qantas has ordered twelve A350-1000ULR aircraft for the project. — The number appears in Qantas’ official announcement. source
- confirmed Operations remain dependent on approvals and certification. — Qantas explicitly links delivery, sales and entry into service to regulation and certification. source
Editor's note
The mid-2028 launch and estimated duration of around eighteen hours have been announced by Qantas and reported independently. The definitive timetable, frequency and required certification are not yet known.Sources
- Australia to the world, non-stop: Qantas to launch history-making flights — Qantas
- Our Journey: Pathway to fleet and network transformation — Qantas Investor Relations
- Sydney to New York flights: Qantas announces new Project Sunrise route — The Nightly
- Qantas plans a 22-hour London-Sydney nonstop flight — AP News
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „qantas project sunrise”
- RTL Nieuws — „qantas project sunrise”
- NOS — „qantas project sunrise”