Qantas Project Sunrise A350-1000: Ultra-Long-Haul Flights Delayed to Late 2027

Qantas has pushed Project Sunrise commercial flights to the second half of 2027 — a roughly four-month delay from the previous H1 2027 target. The cause is European regulatory certification of the custom additional fuel tanks required on the ultra-long-range A350-1000ULR variants, compounded by standard supply chain delays. First aircraft delivery is now expected in April 2027.

The World’s Longest Nonstop Flights, Still Waiting

Project Sunrise is Qantas’s plan to operate nonstop flights from Sydney and Melbourne to New York and London — routes exceeding 10,000 miles and likely running 20+ hours. No airline currently operates them at commercial scale. Qantas has ordered 24 Airbus A350s in total: the first 12 are the ULR (ultra-long-range) variants with additional fuel tanks and higher maximum takeoff weight for the Project Sunrise routes; the second 12 are standard A350-1000s for conventional long-haul flying.

The ULR variants require extra fuel capacity that goes beyond the standard A350-1000 specification, and that additional fuel system infrastructure required separate certification with European regulators. The certification process extended the timeline. This is not a design deficiency — it is the standard regulatory path for a novel aircraft configuration — but it has now pushed Project Sunrise’s commercial launch date into late 2027, roughly three years after Qantas announced the order.

The Aircraft, the Routes, and the Cabin Details

The ULR A350-1000s will carry 238 passengers across four cabin classes: 6 First, 52 Business, 40 Premium Economy, and 140 Economy. Economy features 33 inches of pitch, which is meaningfully above the typical long-haul economy standard and reflects Qantas’s recognition that a 20+ hour economy seat needs to be defensible. First and Business class cabins feature private suites with doors. A dedicated wellness zone and free Wi-Fi via Viasat partnership complete the product.

For travelers holding Qantas points or oneworld miles, the Project Sunrise routes will represent one of the most significant premium cabin redemption opportunities in the alliance when they launch. Qantas is a oneworld carrier, meaning Alaska Atmos members earn miles on Qantas-operated flights and can transfer Atmos miles to Qantas Frequent Flyer for redemptions. The Sydney-to-London and Sydney-to-New York routes will be among the highest-value business class redemption targets in the oneworld network when seats become available.

Source: One Mile at a Time

Content created with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.