Qantas confirms launch of nonstop Sydney-New York service in mid 2028
Qantas Group confirmed (23-Sep-2026) plans to launch Sydney-New York service with A350-1000ULR equipment from mid 2028, which will be the first ever nonstop commercial service between Australia and New York. It is the second Project Sunrise route to be confirmed, following daily Sydney-London service which is scheduled to commence in Oct-2027. Project Sunrise flights will be operated using A350-1000ULR aircraft fitted with an additional 20,000L fuel tank, enabling flights of more than 16,000km and up to 22 hours nonstop. Qantas plans to take delivery of 12 of the aircraft from Apr-2027, each configured with 238 seats across four cabins. The first test aircraft is in the final stages of its flight test programme. Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson stated the nonstop New York service of around 18 hours will cut "around three hours off the current fastest travel time". [more - original PR]
Background ✨
Qantas' first Project Sunrise A350-1000ULR, 'Vega', landed in Melbourne from Toulouse on 24-Jul-2026, operated by four Airbus flight test pilots and five flight test engineers, marking a major milestone in the programme1. The aircraft then returned to Toulouse after a 24 hour Melbourne flight, with two Qantas pilots joining the Airbus flight test crew on the return sector2.