Qantas plan to turn Australia's tyranny of distance into profit

Qantas is advancing Project Sunrise to turn Australia’s “tyranny of distance” into profit by launching ultra-long-haul routes from Sydney to London and New York. The plan depends on both passenger demand and aircraft availability, according to CEO Vanessa Hudson. Qantas expects the long-haul operation to be fully running within 2½ years and forecasts annual earnings of $400 million from a fleet of 12 specially adapted Airbus A350-1000 ULRs. The aircraft are designed to fly more than 18,000 kilometers, using the same model for the Sydney–London and Sydney–New York segments. Qantas said tickets for the first flights would go on sale in February 2027, with departures scheduled for October 2027. The airline is also working through testing and certification delays, including Airbus postponing the first A350-1000 ULR into next year after earlier slippages to 2025 and 2026.