Australia’s flag carrier Qantas has announced plans to launch the first-ever nonstop commercial service between Sydney and New York in 2028. The 18-hour route is set to become the airline’s second ultra-long-haul service and will feature dedicated wellbeing zones for passengers.
Qantas is slowly but surely conquering the world of the ultra long-haul flight. Not only did the company complete a successful 19-hour test flight from Toulouse (France) to Melbourne (Australia) in July 2026, the return flight from Australia to France lasted for no less than 24 hours and 24 minutes.
Following the successful test, Qantas said it was planning on starting its first commercial Project Sunrise route between Sydney and London in October 2027. Initially, Project Sunrise’s launch was planned for 2022 but that date had to be postponed several times due to the Covid-19 pandemic and manufacturing delays at Airbus.
Starting from mid-2028, a second ultra long-haul flight should be added to the Project Sunrise schedule. The new flight route will introduce nonstop 18-hour voyages between Sydney’s Kingsford-Smith airport and New York’s JFK airport, the first commercial flight of its kind.
Sydney to New York, non-stop ✈️
— Qantas (@Qantas) September 23, 2026
We’re excited to announce the first ever commercial non-stop flights between Australia and New York will launch from 2028 as part of Project Sunrise.
As demand for travel between Australia and the United States continues to grow, this new route… pic.twitter.com/D9CII4TE3L
The impressive duration of the nonstop flights can be explained through the introduction of the Airbus A350–1000ULR aircraft. The planes, the first of which is expected to be delivered in April 2027, have been fitted with an extra 20,000-liter fuel tank, allowing them to fly for up to 16,000 kilometers or 22 hours nonstop.
Qantas ordered 12 A350–1000ULRs overall, which offer 238 seats across four cabins – including six first-class suites, 52 business suites, and 40 premium economy seats. The planes will also boast a so-called wellbeing zone, located between the economy and premium economy cabins. Here, travellers will get a chance to stretch, participate in guided exercise videos, and get snacks and drinks.
“Conquering the tyranny of distance has been part of who Qantas is from the very beginning. Reaching New York nonstop 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,” stated Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson.
By the time all 12 A350–1000ULRs will have been delivered, Qantas expects to have trained 360 pilots and 1,200 cabin crew to use the new aircraft. More ultra long-haul direct flights from Perth should follow in the future.
At the moment of writing, Qantas does already offer a flight option between Sydney and New York. However, due to a stopover in Los Angeles, the journey takes approximately 21 hours in total. The new ultra long-haul nonstop flight would thus cut the journey by three hours.
Tickets for the new route are expected to go on sale in August 2027. At the moment of writing, fare details have not yet been disclosed. However, previously, Qantas had announced tickets could cost some 20% more than stopover fares – which typically amount to €1,665 ($1,900) for a return flight and €1,227 ($1,400) for a single way ticket.
