Qantas is about to run one of the busiest ultra-long-haul schedules in its history. Data filed with OAG for the Northern Hemisphere winter (October 2026 to late March 2027) shows 8,818 planned long-haul departures, with January 2027 shaping up as the airline's third-busiest long-haul month on record. The headline addition: nonstop flights between Sydney and Las Vegas, launching 29 December 2026.
The new Nevada route covers 6,708 nautical miles (about 12,423 km) each way, with a maximum block time of 15 hours 15 minutes westbound. Qantas will fly it three times a week using a 236-seat Boeing 787-9, with the season running until 12 March 2027. It's a sensible bet: booking data shows Sydney–Las Vegas was the largest unserved market between Australia and North America in the year to July 2026, with around 52,000 round-trip passengers making the trip indirectly, usually via Los Angeles. Because Las Vegas is a leisure-driven market, average fares from Sydney are lower than on the LA route — good news for travellers.
At the very top of the list sits Perth to London Heathrow, blocked at 17 hours 50 minutes and due to resume nonstop on 1 February 2027 (it currently touches down in Singapore due to the conflict-related rerouting, which could change the ranking). Auckland back to New York JFK is second at 17 hours 40 minutes, followed closely by Dallas/Fort Worth to Melbourne at 17 hours 35 minutes — a route Qantas has flown for nearly four years in partnership with American Airlines, which feeds more than six in ten passengers onto it.
The rest of the top tier is a roll call of long-haul heavyweights: Paris from Perth (17h 30m), Dallas to Sydney on the A380 (17h 10m), Los Angeles, Vancouver, San Francisco, Singapore and Johannesburg connections, and Singapore-tagged legs to Heathrow and Paris. Aircraft range from daily A380s on transpacific routes to 787-9s on the thinner services, and frequencies of three to five weekly are common on the newer or seasonal routes.
Why should a traveller care? Two reasons. First, if you're in Australia or planning a trip there, the Las Vegas nonstop removes the hassle of connecting at LAX for one of the most popular American leisure cities among Aussies. Second, the Perth-to-Europe nonstops — London and Paris — are back on the timetable from February, meaning travellers from Western Australia (or those positioning there) can reach Europe without a stop for the first time in a while. Book early for the new route: three weekly frequencies on a single 787-9 means seats, especially premium ones, will go fast in the peak December–January window.
