Qantas’ new ultra-long haul plane is about to arrive. I’d rather stick with the A380

July 20, 2026 — 5:00am

Twenty-two hours in an economy seat? I can’t begin to imagine what that’s going to feel like, but that’s what Qantas is proposing for its Project Sunrise, non-stop Sydney to London flights. The longest flight I’ve done in economy is the 14.5-hour marathon with Emirates from Sydney to Dubai, and that’s enough for me. By about five hours into the flight I’ve watched a movie, had a meal and now I’m getting restless and checking the flight map, and we’re not even halfway. The last four hours are torture.

Named after the World War II “Double Sunrise” flight between Perth and Colombo, the world’s longest ever non-stop passenger flight at 27 hours to 33 hours (due to the slow speed of the aircraft at the time), the Project Sunrise flights are set to begin operations as a daily service in October 2027. Qantas has ordered a special aircraft for its 17,000-kilometre long haul, an ultra-long range (ULR) Airbus A350-1000, the first of which will touch down in Melbourne this Friday as part of its ongoing test flight program.

Qantas is well aware of the challenges economy passengers will face. The airline is promising a seat pitch (legroom) of up to 33 inches (83 centimetres), 2.5 centimetres more than most economy seats aboard Singapore Airlines or Emirates’ long-haul flights. The aircraft will have a Wellbeing Zone, a wide corridor located between the premium economy and economy cabins. Judging by the images, it’s probably going to accommodate three people at a time. Seating configuration in the economy cabin will be 3-3-3, and pity the window-seat passengers who must climb over two passengers, or wake them up for a toilet break, or even to stretch their legs.

A 22-hour flight is not that much longer than the Singapore Airlines flight from Singapore to New York, current titleholder for the world’s longest flight at almost 19 hours. However, all the passengers on that flight are sitting in either premium economy or business class seats. On the Project Sunrise flights, almost 60 per cent of the seats are in economy.

Flight time

Qantas claims the Project Sunrise flight will cut up to four hours off a one-stop service. That’s true compared with the current QF1 Sydney-London flight, which includes a stopover in Singapore and takes almost 25 hours, but other airlines do it quicker. Emirates’ fastest service on the same route, flying aboard EK415 from Sydney to Dubai and EK005 from Dubai to London, takes 23 hours 15 minutes. Aboard Qatar Airways, the quickest flight from Sydney to London takes 24 hours and Singapore Airlines can get you there in 23 hours. Those passengers get to stretch their legs, or even gallop if the arrival and departure gates are far apart at those mammoth airports, and your body will thank you.

The cost

Tickets for the Project Sunrise flights to London go on sale in February 2027, and it’s likely they’ll command a premium. One of the reasons is the fuel costs of an ultra-long non-stop flight. The A350-1000ULR that Qantas will be using for these flights is a specialised variant with an extra fuel tank holding 20,000 litres. That’s on top of the 158,790 litres of fuel carried in the standard version of the A350-1000. Some of that fuel is being carried to hoist the aircraft with that enormous fuel load into the sky and keep it there for up to 22 hours. Fuel is one of the major components in the price of an economy class ticket, accounting for 20 per cent to 30 per cent of the cost, and therefore the likelihood of a ticket surcharge. Also, Qantas has recognised the appeal of non-stop flights, and it has priced those flights higher. The cheapest return ticket from Perth to London on 1-30 September, flying aboard QF219, the airline’s current “non-stop” service, costs $4292. A seat aboard Qantas’ one-stop flight on the same route and dates with a Singapore stopover starts from $3814. Despite the higher cost, and although it’s still a one-stop flight for passengers originating from east coast cities, the flight has been popular.

How conflict zones affect long-haul flights

The current conflagration in the Middle East shows just how conflict zones can upend ultra long-haul flights. The great circle route from Perth to London, the shortest possible route between those cities, is diagonally over Iran. Since the beginning of the current war on Iran, when airspace closures came into effect, QF9, Qantas’ non-stop Perth to London service, has been rebranded as QF219, a one-stop flight via Singapore. While Qantas could have re-routed QF9 to avoid the conflict zone, that would have required reduced passenger numbers, making it unviable. According to an article in Simple Flying, “the alternative route via Singapore allows for carrying more than 60 additional passengers per flight due to fewer weight restrictions.”

However, Qantas has maintained its QF5/QF6 flights between Perth and Rome as a non-stop service. Despite the problems in the Middle East, the flight is within the range of the Boeing 787-9 aircraft operating the service and it’s been popular with travellers, achieving an average load factor of over 90 per cent.

It appears Qantas will route its Project Sunrise flights across Alaska, Canada’s Arctic region and Greenland, in both directions. The risk of disruptions due to political instability is close to zero, although the London-Sydney flight runs counter to jet stream winds that flow from west to east, potentially challenging even the long-legged Airbus.

My kind of aircraft

Qantas has plans to continue operating its fleet of A380s until at least 2032, when they will start being retired. No surprise there, it’s been expected for some time, but that suggests Qantas will maintain its flagship QF1/QF2 flights between Sydney and London aboard an A380 for the next six years. I’m cheering.

Compared to the 22-hour marathon aboard the Project Sunrise flight, I’ve got the option of an eight-hour flight to Singapore and a decent stopover of over two hours followed by a 14-hour all-nighter to London. Total flight time 24 hours 45 minutes, aboard a quiet, smooth, incredibly spacious superjumbo, and it’ll probably cost less than the Project Sunrise flight. What’s not to like?