Behind the scenes of 'Project Sunrise', the flight coming to the UK

Direct London-to-Sydney flights are set to redefine long-haul travel as Qantas presses ahead with Project Sunrise. The airline plans to start operating in October 2027 using Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft equipped with extra-large fuel tanks to extend range and avoid midflight refuelling. The plan, revealed during a sneak preview at Airbus’s Toulouse headquarters, marks a milestone after roughly a decade of development and about five years of delays. The new service aims to connect London Heathrow and Sydney non-stop, a feat not seen before on commercial routes and designed to trim flight times dramatically, with an absolute best time cited at 18 hours 7 minutes depending on winds.