AUSTRALIA TO THE WORLD, NON-STOP: QANTAS LAUNCHES HISTORIC FLIGHTS TO LONDON | News

Qantas will launch its world’s first non-stop services between Sydney and London from October 2027, the first time the Kangaroo Route will ever be flown without stops from Australia’s east coast.

Today’s announcement comes as the national carrier unveiled its first Airbus A350-1000ULR in Qantas livery at Airbus’s production facility in Toulouse, the culmination of years of development to conquer the last frontier of long-haul aviation as part of Project Sunrise.

Qantas has been flying between Sydney and London since 1947, when the original Kangaroo Route lasted four days with seven stops in Darwin, Singapore, Calcutta, Karachi, Cairo, Castel Benito and Rome, en route to Britain.

The new non-stop flights will reduce travel time by up to four hours compared to current one-stop services. These historic ultra-long-haul services will operate alongside Qantas’ existing Perth-London and Sydney-Singapore-London services. Project Sunrise Sydney’s first services to London will go on sale in February 2027.

Specially manufactured by Airbus for Project Sunrise, the A350-1000ULR is equipped with an additional 20,000 liter fuel tank that allows the aircraft to fly more than 16,000 kilometers, up to 22 hours non-stop. Qantas will take delivery of a total of twelve aircraft, each configured with 238 seats across four cabins.

A second aircraft is going through its eight-week test and certification program after taking its first flight earlier this month.

Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said the confirmation of the launch route marks a new dawn of travel for customers around the world.

“Qantas was built on the belief that Australia’s distance from the rest of the world should never get in the way. The pioneering spirit of generations of our people has charted that path ever since, and today marks the most important step in that mission in our 105-year history.

“Since we first flew the Kangaroo Route in 1947, stopping seven times on the way to London, every generation of aircraft has made a stop on the journey. Today we are taking out the last.

“We promised in 2017 that Qantas would conquer the last frontier of long-haul aviation, connecting Australia’s east coast directly to London, something never before possible. From October 2027, that promise will become a reality.”

Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism, Senator Don Farrell, said:

“Every year millions of people travel between Australia and the UK to visit family, on holiday or on business, and from 2027 the journey will become more comfortable, faster and easier.

“This is a major milestone for aviation and tourism in both Australia and Britain and a demonstration of the strong friendship between our two nations.

“Australia is a world-class tourism destination and the new direct route launched by Qantas will help bring more people to our shores to experience the best we have to offer.”

British Tourism Secretary Stephanie Peacock said:

“This is a historic moment, not only for British aviation and tourism, but also for the millions of passengers who will fly non-stop from Sydney to London for the first time.

“Qantas’ decision to make London the first destination for Project Sunrise is a strong vote of confidence in Britain as a hub for global tourism, and a reflection of the deep ties between our two countries.

“Today marks a new phase of this role, opening up new opportunities for business, tourism and the people who make both possible in Australia and Britain.”

New research[1] shows that Australians’ interest in non-stop ultra-long-haul flights has continued to grow, with booking intent increasing from 58 to 70 percent since February this year. Among premium travelers, that figure stands at 80 percent, an increase of 12 percentage points over the same period.

Since 2018, more than 1.7 million passengers have flown on Qantas’ non-stop long-haul services from Perth to London, Rome and Paris, and services from Melbourne to Dallas and Auckland to New York, with these routes recording the highest customer satisfaction scores on the airline’s international network. Daily non-stop services between Sydney and London will significantly expand travel options for customers across Australia traveling to the UK and Europe from late 2027.

Ms Hudson said the Project Sunrise experience represents a fundamentally different approach to long-haul travel.

“Eliminating the layover saves customers up to four hours of travel time. This aircraft was designed from the ground up for ultra-long-haul travel, with a cabin built around science and combating jet lag, with an onboard experience built specifically for the length of the journey.”

In preparation for the plane’s arrival next year, Qantas pilots have begun training on Australia’s first A350 simulator in Sydney and with British Airways in Britain. In the coming months, a number of pilots will also fly with Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong.

Qantas’ current A330 pilots represent the first influx of Project Sunrise pilots, with 40 already in training for the A350 alongside their existing A330 pilots.

In total, more than 360 Qantas pilots and 1,200 cabin crew will be trained to fly Qantas’ fleet of Project Sunrise aircraft by the time the 12th A350ULR arrives.

On the ground, Qantas engineers have also started classroom training in Sydney and cabin crew will soon do the same.

Project Sunrise will eventually connect Australia’s east coast to other international destinations, with Sydney-New York confirmed as the next service after Sydney-London. The timing for the launch of these services will be announced next year.

[1] Research conducted in May 2026 by an external research agency on behalf of Qantas.
Delivery, sale and commencement of service are subject to regulatory approvals and aircraft certification.