Ultra-range A350 to fly 16,000km Sydney-London without stops
Key Points
- What: Qantas non-stop Sydney-London flights on the Airbus A350-1000ULR
- When: Launches October 2027; on sale February 2027
- Range: 16,000km+ for up to 22 hours, via a 20,000-litre extra fuel tank
- Aircraft: 12 ordered, 238 seats across four cabins
- Next route: Sydney-New York, timing to be confirmed
Qantas will fly the first non-stop services between Sydney and London from October 2027, using a purpose-built Airbus A350-1000ULR capable of covering more than 16,000 kilometres in a single hop.
The Australian carrier confirmed the route as it unveiled its first A350-1000ULR in Qantas livery at Airbus’ manufacturing facility in Toulouse, the culmination of its Project Sunrise development programme launched in 2017. Tickets go on sale in February 2027.
Airbus has fitted the A350-1000ULR with an additional 20,000-litre rear centre fuel tank, extending the base A350-1000’s range by around 1,000 nautical miles and enabling flights of up to 22 hours non-stop.
Qantas has ordered 12 of the aircraft, each configured with 238 seats across four cabins, with a further 12 A350-1000LRs to follow from FY28. The first aircraft, named Vega, is due for delivery in April 2027.
The 238-seat layout sits well below the typical A350-1000 configuration. Carriers including Cathay Pacific operate the type with more than 330 seats, while the Qantas version dedicates roughly 40% of its capacity to premium cabins, split across six first class suites, 52 business class seats, 40 premium economy seats and 140 economy seats.
The non-stop flights will cut up to four hours off the travel time compared with current one-stop services, and will operate alongside Qantas’ existing Perth-London and Sydney-Singapore-London routes.
Qantas has flown between Sydney and London since 1947, when the original Kangaroo Route took four days with seven stops in Darwin, Singapore, Calcutta, Karachi, Cairo, Castel Benito and Rome.
Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said the launch route marked the most significant step in the airline’s 105-year history.
“Since we first flew the Kangaroo Route in 1947, where we stopped seven times on the way to London, every generation of aircraft has taken a stop out of the journey. Today, we’re taking out the last one,” Hudson said.
She added that the aircraft had been designed from the ground up for ultra long-haul travel, “with a cabin built around science and combatting jetlag.”
The cabin work was carried out with Caon Design, chef Neil Perry and the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre, and includes a dedicated Wellbeing Zone. All Qantas A350-1000s will also carry Viasat Wi-Fi.
A second A350-1000ULR completed its maiden flight earlier this month and is moving through an eight-week flight test and certification programme in France. Qantas has said it needs three aircraft to operate a daily service on each route.
Qantas pilots have begun training on Australia’s first A350 simulator in Sydney and with British Airways in the UK, with further flying planned alongside Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong.
The airline’s current A330 pilots form the initial intake, with 40 already training for the A350. In total, more than 360 pilots and 1,200 cabin crew will be trained to operate the fleet by the time the 12th aircraft arrives.
Sydney-New York has been confirmed as the next Project Sunrise route, with launch timing to be announced next year.
