Qantas revealed plans to launch direct flights between Sydney and New York as part of its Project Sunrise expansion, with service to commence in mid-2028. The route will represent the airline’s second ultra long-haul offering, following planned Sydney to London service scheduled for October 2027. The New York route will reduce travel time to 18 hours, compared to the current 21-hour journey that includes a stopover in Los Angeles.
The carrier has not publicly disclosed pricing for the new routes but previously indicated that direct fares could command a 20% premium over current stopover fares. Ticket sales for the Sydney to New York service are scheduled to open in August 2027, though the airline has not specified the exact month operations will commence. Qantas indicated it would provide additional timing details during 2027. The company is also considering future routes from Perth but has discontinued earlier plans to serve Brisbane and Melbourne on long-haul services.
Qantas’s Project Sunrise initiative was initially slated to begin in 2022 but faced multiple delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent manufacturing setbacks with aircraft supplier Airbus. The airline has ordered 12 Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft equipped with supplementary fuel tanks capable of flying over 16,000 kilometres nonstop for up to 22 hours. The first aircraft is expected to arrive in Australia in April 2027. A test flight in July completed a 24-hour, 24-minute journey from Melbourne to France, which the company characterized as the longest commercial flight on record.
Each aircraft will feature a dedicated “wellbeing zone” positioned between economy and premium economy cabins, where passengers can exercise, access guided fitness content, and consume refreshments. The A350-1000ULR carries 238 total seats, comprising 140 standard economy seats, six first-class suites, 52 business suites, and 40 premium economy seats. Qantas projects the Project Sunrise flights will generate an additional $400 million in earnings over five years, with operating margins expected to improve from the current 4% to 10%. The company reported that demand for flights to and from New York has doubled since 2023.
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