Qantas Sydney London flights are finally on the calendar: tickets go on sale in February, with the roughly 20-hour nonstop launching in October 2027. That is years later than the original Project Sunrise plan, but the commercial bet is clearer than ever.
CEO Vanessa Hudson named London as the first destination for the world’s longest commercial hop at an Airbus ceremony in Toulouse. New York follows on the same modified A350-1000ULR fleet. Half of 12 jets will cover those ultra-long markets; the rest may free 787s for other long routes.
Why Qantas Sydney London flights matter now
The Kangaroo Route once took five days. Today it still runs about 24 to 25 hours via Singapore. A single hop of 19 to 21 hours sells time, not just seats. Analyst John Strickland told Reuters the airline needs a premium across cabins, especially business and premium economy.
Qantas wants to match the roughly 20% premium it already earns on Perth-London versus one-stop options. It estimates Project Sunrise could add more than A$400 million a year to earnings. First delivery is due April 2027, about five years late after pandemic and fuel-tank redesign delays.
War reroutes and the Gulf hub fight
Perth-London is temporarily via Singapore because Middle East airspace remains disrupted. Hudson said the network will return when conditions settle. Australia has lifted a months-long “do not travel” warning on Gulf hubs that had voided transit insurance. Emirates and peers will defend connecting traffic even as nonstops grow.
For travelers watching Travel schedules, the practical takeaway is timing: book early if you want the nonstop, but keep one-stop fares as a hedge until 2027 service proves reliable. Polar routings will appear about a quarter of the time in northern winter.
What changed since the 2017 challenge to Airbus and Boeing is not the dream of nonstop Australia-Europe flying. It is the price of delay, the health research Qantas funded for ultra-long cabin comfort, and a market where Gulf hubs are suddenly less automatic.