Airline announces tickets to go on sale for ‘longest commercial flight in the world’ from UK airport

Qantas announced its Project Sunrise will launch the world’s longest commercial flight—a non-stop 22-hour route between London and Sydney—starting October 2027, with tickets on sale from February 2024. The airline ordered 12 Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft, each with 238 seats and an extra 20,000-litre fuel tank, aiming to cut travel time by up to four hours compared to current one-stop services." "article": "Qantas will launch the world’s longest commercial flight under its Project Sunrise initiative, offering a non-stop route between London and Sydney beginning October 2027. The airline confirmed tickets for the 16,995km journey, expected to take up to 22 hours, will go on sale in February 2024. This surpasses the current record—Singapore Airlines’ 15,349km New York-Singapore flight—by over 1,600km. The new service will use 12 Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft, each fitted with an additional 20,000-litre fuel tank to extend range. Each plane will feature 238 seats across four cabins: First Class, Business, Premium Economy, and Economy. Qantas claims the route will reduce travel time by up to four hours compared to existing one-stop flights, such as its current Perth-London service, which is the world’s fourth-longest. Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson called the project a fulfillment of a 2017 pledge to eliminate stops on Australia’s longest-haul routes. The airline plans to expand Project Sunrise with a second non-stop route connecting Australia and New York. The London-Sydney flight will complement Qantas’s existing services, including its Sydney-Singapore-London route. UK Tourism Minister Stephanie Peacock welcomed the announcement, calling it a ‘historic moment’ for British aviation and tourism. She highlighted the deep ties between the UK and Australia, noting the flight reinforces London’s role as a global tourism hub. VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates added that the new route would boost Australia’s £1.8 billion annual visitor spending in the UK, enhancing Britain’s competitive tourism offer. The flight marks a milestone for Qantas, which has progressively reduced stops on its Kangaroo Route since its 1947 debut. The airline’s CEO emphasized that the project removes the final stop from Australia’s long-haul journeys, aligning with Qantas’s mission to overcome geographic barriers. The London-Sydney route is set to become the airline’s longest operational flight, surpassing its current Perth-London service.