Perth, June 17: Qantas has confirmed it will launch the world’s first non-stop flights between Sydney and London from October 2027, marking a historic milestone for Australian aviation and bringing an end to stopovers on the iconic Kangaroo Route.
The announcement was made as the airline unveiled its first Airbus A350-1000ULR in Qantas livery at Airbus’ facility in Toulouse, France.
The aircraft has been specially developed for Project Sunrise and is capable of flying more than 16,000 kilometres for up to 22 hours non-stop.
The new service will reduce travel times by up to four hours compared with current one-stop routes and will operate alongside Qantas’ existing Perth-London and Sydney-Singapore-London services.
Tickets for the inaugural Sydney-London non-stop flights are expected to go on sale in February 2027.
Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said 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 stand in the way. The pioneering spirit of generations of our people has forged that path ever since, and today is the most significant step in that mission in our 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.
“We made a commitment in 2017 that Qantas would conquer the final frontier of long-haul aviation and connect Australia’s east coast directly to London, something that has never before been possible. From October 2027, that promise becomes reality.”
The A350-1000ULR fleet will feature 238 seats across four cabins, with Qantas set to receive 12 aircraft in total. A second aircraft is currently undergoing an eight-week testing and certification program.
Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism Senator Don Farrell said the new route would strengthen tourism, business and family connections between Australia and the United Kingdom, while UK Tourism Minister Stephanie Peacock described the launch as a historic moment for aviation and tourism in both countries.
New research commissioned by Qantas found demand for ultra long-haul travel continues to grow, with 70 per cent of Australians indicating they would book a non-stop long-haul flight, rising to 80 per cent among premium travellers.
Sydney-London will be the first Project Sunrise route, with Sydney-New York confirmed as the next destination. Qantas said further details on future services will be announced next year.
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