The world’s longest planned non-stop flight has been pushed back, despite earlier expectations it could launch in early 2027.
Qantas has spent years outlining ambitions for a direct London-to-Sydney service. At present, most passengers travelling between the two cities typically have to break the trip with a stopover in hubs such as Singapore or Dubai.
Those layovers are what ‘Project Sunrise’ is designed to remove, creating a non-stop link between the UK capital and Australia’s biggest city.
The flight is expected to last about 22 hours and carry 238 passengers. That figure is lower than the usual roughly 300-seat configuration of the Airbus A350, something Qantas says will give travellers more personal space and allow room for ‘wellbeing zones’ positioned between economy and premium cabins.
While there had been optimism that the first service could depart in the first half of 2027, current conditions have made that timeline harder to achieve.
The situation in Iran has reportedly contributed to supply-chain disruption, leading to delays in the production schedule for Airbus’ A350 aircraft.
Qantas had been expecting the required jets to be delivered by late 2026, but the fleet is now anticipated to arrive in April 2027 instead.
Even so, there has been visible progress: the first Qantas A350 was seen leaving a hangar in France last month.
According to Simple Flying, a Qantas spokesperson said the aircraft is nearing its next major milestones, with flight testing set to begin soon.
“Preparations for Project Sunrise continue with the first Airbus A350-1000ULR now in the paint shop in Toulouse taking on its Qantas livery, and test flights just weeks away,” they told the outlet.
“Pilot training is well underway at our new A350 simulator in Sydney, and next month we’ll announce the first route and timing of our inaugural commercial services.”
With the revised delivery expectations, Qantas is now aiming to start operations for the non-stop route in November 2027.
The spokesperson added: “While the first aircraft delivery has shifted to April 2027, the next four will follow in quick succession, putting us back on our original schedule by November. We continue to work closely with Airbus on the delivery and certification process that will enable us to begin operating these history-making ultra long-haul flights.”
Alongside London–Sydney, Qantas is also planning a direct New York-to-Sydney service, which is also expected to take around 22 hours.
For now, the longest non-stop commercial flight is operated by Singapore Airlines between Singapore and New York, with a journey time of about 18 hours.