Qantas will launch the world’s first non-stop flights between Sydney and London in October 2027, featuring the new Airbus A350-1000ULR. This will mark the first time the Kangaroo Route has been operated direct from Australia’s east coast.
The announcement coincides with the unveiling of Qantas’ first Airbus A350-1000ULR at Airbus’ Toulouse facility. Developed under Project Sunrise, the aircraft is designed to push the boundaries of ultra long-haul travel.
The new service will reduce journey times by up to four hours compared with current one-stop flights and will complement Qantas’ existing Perth-London and Sydney-Singapore-London operations.
Purpose-built for Project Sunrise, the A350-1000ULR features an additional 20,000-litre fuel tank, enabling flights of more than 16,000 kilometres and up to 22 hours non-stop. Qantas has ordered 12 aircraft, each configured with 238 seats across four cabins.
Pilot, cabin crew and engineering training is already under way ahead of the aircraft’s arrival next year. By the time the full fleet is delivered, more than 360 pilots and 1,200 cabin crew will be qualified to operate the aircraft.
Following Sydney-London, Qantas plans to introduce non-stop services between Sydney and New York, with launch details due to be announced next year.
