Australian airline Qantas has officially announced that it will launch the world’s longest non-stop Sydney-London flight in October 2027 as part of its Project Sunrise project. The flight, which will cover a distance of more than 16,000 kilometres, will take between 19 and 22 hours and will connect the two cities directly for the first time in history.
The airline will use new Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft, especially upgraded for this purpose. The strategy envisages direct connections between Australia’s east coast and other major hubs around the world in the future, with the Sydney-New York route expected to be launched in the next phase. Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson described the move as a significant milestone in the airline’s 105-year history, noting that after the first flights in 1947, which made seven stops in London, the last stop is now gone.
The world’s longest non-stop flight is currently between Singapore and New York (15,349 km), but there are no seats for economy class passengers on those flights. Qantas has redesigned the aircraft, which normally seats up to 480 passengers, to provide greater passenger comfort, with just 238 seats, 140 of which are reserved for economy class. The second of these new aircraft, equipped with an additional 20,000-litre fuel tank and capable of flying for up to 22 hours, is currently undergoing testing and certification.
