Qantas has locked in a mid-2028 launch date for non-stop flights between Sydney and New York, the second route in its much-hyped Project Sunrise programme. Tickets for the inaugural service go on sale from August 2027, and the airline says the direct routing will shave more than three hours off the journey compared with today's one-stop options.
The news comes ahead of the programme's first route, Sydney to London, which is due to carry passengers for the first time in October 2026. Both services will be flown by specially configured Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft, which carry an extra 20,000-litre fuel tank and can stay airborne for up to 22 hours. In July, a test aircraft flew from Melbourne to Toulouse non-stop in 24 hours and 24 minutes — a proof of concept for the routes ahead.
The Project Sunrise name nods to Qantas history: the 'double sunrise' flights of WWII, which hopped from Western Australia to what is now Sri Lanka, taking so long that passengers saw the sun rise twice.
Qantas knows the real challenge isn't the plane — it's keeping people sane for around 18 hours in the air. CEO Vanessa Hudson said the whole onboard experience has been designed around the science of ultra-long-haul travel, from cabin lighting to meal timing. The headline feature is a Wellbeing Zone open to every passenger, regardless of class, with on-screen guided movement programmes, integrated stretch handles and refreshments.
Economy gets 140 seats in a 3-3-3 layout with more legroom than current Qantas aircraft, and a 34-inch seat pitch in economy plus. Business class travellers get an 80-inch flat bed, while first class adds a separate reclining armchair and a full-length wardrobe — roughly the footprint of a small hotel room, minus the shower.
For travellers, the appeal is obvious: New York to Sydney currently means a stop somewhere in the US west coast, the Pacific or Asia, and a full day or more of travel. A direct flight changes the maths entirely, especially for business travellers and anyone doing a two-week Australia trip who can't afford to burn days in transit. The same goes for the Sydney–London route starting in 2026, which will become the world's longest commercial flight when it debuts.
Worth flagging: 18 hours in a pressurised tube isn't for everyone. If you struggle on long-haul flights, the Wellbeing Zone and the extra economy legroom will help, but it may be worth pricing the premium cabins or considering a stopover anyway. Either way, mark August 2027 in the diary if you want a seat on that first New York departure — Qantas inaugural flights have a habit of selling out fast and turning into collector's items.
