Qantas will launch nonstop flights between Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport and London Heathrow Airport in October 2027 using the Airbus A350-1000ULR, marking the first time the Kangaroo Route from Australia’s east coast will operate without intermediate stopovers.
The aircraft for this route is a specially modified ultra-long-range Airbus A350-1000ULR with 238 seats configured across four classes — the lowest seat density of any Airbus A350 worldwide. The cabin includes six enclosed First Class suites with 80-inch flatbeds and private aisles, 52 Business Class suites equipped with sliding doors for privacy, 40 Premium Economy seats, and Economy seating subdivided into Economy
Plus and Economy sections.
The flights will follow a new polar route flying north from Sydney, crossing the equator and polar regions before approaching London from the north. The aircraft has an extended fuel capacity of 168,000 litres, which includes an additional 20,000-litre rear centre fuel tank. Flight durations are expected to reach up to 22 hours nonstop, with northbound journeys lasting up to 21 hours depending on wind conditions, and return flights estimated to be one to two hours shorter. The first test flight of the Airbus A350-1000ULR occurred on June 2, 2026, in Toulouse, France, with further certification
tests underway.
Project Sunrise, led by Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson since 2022, seeks to eliminate the multiple stopovers historically defining travel between Australia and the United Kingdom. The Kangaroo Route traditionally involved several stops—seven in the 1940s and three in the 1970s—with the Perth–London nonstop route starting in 2018 serving only Western Australia. The new Sydney–London nonstop service extends this capability directly from Australia’s populous east coast. The project’s name honors Qantas’s 1940s Double Sunrise flights, which lasted 33 hours with Catalina flying boats.
Qantas has ordered a fleet of 12 Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft with the first delivery scheduled for
April 2027. Ticket sales for the Sydney–London nonstop route will open in February 2027. The airline plans crew training involving over 360 pilots and 1,200 cabin crew members ahead of the launch. Sydney–New York is confirmed as the second Project Sunrise route and will follow after the Sydney–London service begins.
These nonstop flights will reduce total travel times by up to four hours compared to the fastest available one-stop alternatives via Asia or the Middle East, which typically range between 23 and 25 hours including layovers. Passengers will no longer require transfers or experience baggage interruptions. The cabin design, developed
in collaboration with the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre, Caon Design Office, Safran Seats, and RECARO Aircraft Seating, incorporates wellbeing considerations for ultra-long-haul travel.
The introduction of sliding doors in Business Class marks a significant product upgrade for Qantas, aligning its offering with global competitors such as Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines. The combination of reduced seat numbers and enhanced premium features allows the aircraft to carry sufficient fuel for the extended flight duration while maintaining operational efficiency and passenger comfort.
Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson described the launch as breaking the tyranny of distance for Australia. CNN aviation analyst
Richard Quest called Project Sunrise a pivotal moment for Airbus, comparable to the launch of the A380 with Singapore Airlines. The Sydney–London nonstop service establishes the longest commercial flight from Australia’s east coast and reshapes air travel between the two nations according to Travel Tourister.
