Qantas announces start date of Sydney-New York non-stop flights

New York: Qantas has announced its direct flights to New York will begin from Sydney in mid-2028, connecting Australia and the east coast of the US with non-stop air travel for the first time.

A specially configured Airbus A350-1000 ultra-long range aircraft will operate the flights, fitted with an additional 20,000 litre fuel tank that would enable the plane to fly more than 16,000 kilometres and up to 22 hours nonstop.

Qantas said the direct flight would shave three hours off the typical journey from Sydney to New York. Tickets will go on sale in August next year.

The airline made the announcement at a cocktail reception in New York on Tuesday evening (US time).

“Conquering the tyranny of distance has been part of who Qantas is from the very beginning,” said Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson.

“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.”

Qantas expects to take delivery of 12 of the A350-1000ULR aircraft, each configured with 238 seats across four cabins.

The New York route will follow the start of direct flights between Sydney and London in October 2027.

The choice of New York as the second destination after London for the ultra-long haul flights is a bet by the airline that jet lag-phobic Americans on the East Coast will be willing to pay to fly to Sydney direct, bypassing Los Angeles and other major hubs.

One source close to Qantas told this masthead in June that “the north-east of the US is a sleeping giant” for premium travel to Australia, which can be met with the help of Project Sunrise flights.

The Project Sunrise plane’s lighting system and cabin service is designed to minimise the impact of jet lag. It will also have a special wellness zone where passengers can stretch their legs in mid-flight.

The plane will have 40 premium economy seats, 140 economy seats, 52 business suites, and six first class suites - the latter two designed by David Caon, the mind behind some of Qantas’ iconic Australian coloured-hued cabin interiors.

The specially fitted Airbus, still in its primary paint colours, completed a milestone in July on its road to certification by authorities after completing what appeared to be a record-breaking 24 hour 24 second non-stop flight from Melbourne to Toulouse, France.

Qantas said the first aircraft is expected to be delivered to the airline by April 2027. Qantas is counting on continued demand for premium travel with the launch of Project Sunrise.