Qantas’ 9,950-Mile, 20-Hour Sydney To New York A350 Flights Launch Mid-2028

Since 2017, we’ve known about Qantas’ “Project Sunrise” concept, whereby the airline will fly from Sydney to both London (LHR) and New York (JFK), using special Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft. These will be the world’s longest flights, and will see passengers spending nearly an entire day on an aircraft without stopping.

We’re finally getting closer to these routes actually commencing. A few months ago, Qantas announced it would launch nonstop Sydney to London flights as of October 2027, with flights going on sale as of February 2027. The airline has now also announced when we’ll see the launch of nonstop New York flights… though we’ll have to be patient for around two more years.

Qantas’ record breaking Sydney to New York flights unveiled

Qantas has announced that it plans to launch nonstop flights between Sydney and New York as of mid-2028, with flights going on sale as of August 2027. This will represent the first-ever regularly scheduled nonstop flights between Australia and New York.

Qantas has been flying between Sydney and New York since 1958, as part of its inaugural round-the-world service, reaching the city via Fiji, Honolulu, and San Francisco. Currently, the airline flies daily between Sydney and New York via Auckland (AKL), using Boeing 787-9s.

The new nonstop flights will cut around three hours off the travel time compared to existing one-stop services. Even when the nonstop Sydney to New York flight is launched, the airline still plans to maintain its one-stop service from Sydney to New York via Auckland.

Qantas will launch this nonstop service once it has five A350-1000ULRs — two planes are needed to operate each route, and then they also need a spare. You can expect the flight will take around 18 hours eastbound and around 20 hours westbound, so it’s quite the long haul journey. At 9,950 miles, it’ll be the world’s second longest flight, after the 10,573-mile London flight.

As usual, Qantas is very skilled at creating hype and publicity around new service. The airline has been promoting this Project Sunrise concept for a decade, and seems to have had a party just now in New York, celebrating this route.

That’s a bit confusing, because we’ve known this route was coming, and it seems odd to host a party with the concept of “hey, in about a year we’re going to start selling tickets on a flight that will launch about a year after that.” But don’t worry, I’m sure there will be another party as well!

Here’s what Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson had to say about Project Sunrise New York service:

“Conquering the tyranny of distance has been part of who Qantas is from the very beginning. Reaching New York non-stop completes a vision we set out many years ago, and it’s a moment of enormous pride for the thousands of our people who have been working hard to make Project Sunrise a reality.”

“New York has always captured the imagination, and for generations, reaching it from Australia has meant breaking up the journey somewhere along the way. From 2028, our customers will be able to board in Sydney and arrive in New York around 18 hours later without stopping once, cutting around three hours off the current fastest travel time. That changes what’s possible for travel between our two countries.”

“Flying these distances is only worth doing if our customers arrive feeling their best, and that belief has shaped everything we’ve built. Over the past decade, working alongside experts, we’ve designed the aircraft and the onboard experience around the science of ultra long-haul travel, from the lighting to the meals to a world-first Wellbeing Zone. This is a fundamentally different way to fly.”

Qantas A350-1000ULRs will have 238 seats in four cabins

Qantas has a total of 12 Airbus A350-1000ULRs on order, which feature extra fuel tanks, as well as a higher maximum takeoff weight than the standard A350-1000, which the airline also has on order. Note that the airline only plans to use six of the planes for the “real” Project Sunrise flights, and will then use the remaining planes to grow in other markets.

Qantas’ A350-1000ULRs will be specially configured for long haul flying, and will be in a very spacious configuration:

• Qantas’ A350-1000ULRs will carry just 238 passengers, which is way fewer seats than you’ll find on most carriers’ A350s
• The planes will feature four classes of service, including six first class seats, 52 business class seats, 40 premium economy seats, and 140 economy seats
• Economy will feature 32-34″ of pitch, which is slightly more spacious than what you’d typically find in economy (where 31″ is the standard for long haul flights), though the airline has already taken away some legroom, as initially the plan was for all seats to have at least 33″ of pitch
• Qantas will be introducing a new first class suite and business class seat with a door on A350-1000s
• Qantas A350-1000ULRs will feature a dedicated wellness zone
• All Qantas A350-1000s will feature fast and free Wi-Fi, in partnership with Viasat

I’ve talked more about the cabin interiors in a separate post, because there’s lots to cover. AeroLOPA also has a seat map of the new cabins, which is interesting to look at.

I have to say, as much as I enjoy flying, these flights are really getting to a length where I wonder if I might just prefer a connection, so I can stretch my legs. I guess if you’re in first or business class it’s hard to complain, though in premium economy or economy, this seems like quite the undertaking. But I guess that’s the beauty of choice, as there are also plenty of one-stop options.

We know that Qantas is hoping to charge about 20% more for these flights over itineraries with connections, though of course the market will decide whether consumers are willing to pay that.

Bottom line

Qantas has announced the timing of its second Project Sunrise route, as the airline will start flying between Sydney and New York as of mid-2028, with flights going on sale as of August 2027. The airline will operate this route with Airbus A350-1000ULRs, which is a unique aircraft type the airline has on order.

At just under 10,000 miles and with a flight time of around 20 hours, this will be the second longest flight in the world, after the Sydney to London flight, which launches in October 2027.

What’s your take on Qantas’ plans to fly from Sydney to New York? Would you like to take this flight, or would you rather connect?