tl;dr – The long-awaited Qantas service between Sydney and London will take a major step forward with extensive testing expected in 2026.
Coined Project Sunrise, Qantas is planning to fly between Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) and London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) beginning in 2027. According to Timeout, which recently provided a brief dive into Project Sunrise’s testing and progress, Qantas will conduct an extensive test program in 2026. The Australian flag carrier will use the Airbus A350 to fly the route. The journey, which will be just over 20 hours, will become the world’s longest flight once it commences.
The route was originally scheduled to debut in 2025, but the “launch was pushed back due to technical issues and pandemic-related delays.”
According to Timeout, “currently, the world’s longest flight is Singapore Airlines’ direct service from Singapore to New York, which covers around 15,300 kilometres in roughly 18.5 hours. Qantas’ 17.5-hour journey from Perth to London is the world’s third longest, while the 17-hour Perth to Paris route and the 16-hour Melbourne to Dallas flight follow close behind.”
