Saturday | 8th November 2025
Just eighty years ago, a journey from London or New York to Sydney or Melbourne required more than a week, involving multiple stopovers by ship or plane. Today, that once-distant dream of flying directly between the hemispheres is on the verge of becoming reality.
Qantas announced on Friday that the first passenger aircraft capable of flying nonstop from Europe or the United States to Australia’s east coast is now in its final stages of construction. The airline released the first images of the ultra-long-range Airbus A350-1000ULR as it takes shape at the Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France.
To achieve such extraordinary range, engineers have made significant modifications to the A350’s design — most notably a massive 20,000-liter rear center fuel tank that will enable the aircraft to fly continuously for up to 22 hours. The aircraft is at the heart of “Project Sunrise,” Qantas’ ambitious plan to redefine long-haul travel by connecting distant cities like London, New York, and Sydney with direct flights for the first time in aviation history.
The project’s name, Sunrise, reflects the unique nature of the journey: passengers may experience two sunrises during a single flight due to the extreme flight duration. When commercial operations begin in the first half of 2027, the new service will cut as much as four hours off current travel times between Australia and major international hubs in Europe and North America.
While Qantas’ Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner can already fly 17 hours nonstop from London or New York to Perth on Australia’s west coast, extending that distance across the vast continent to Sydney or Melbourne has long been regarded as “aviation’s final frontier.”
Work on Project Sunrise began in 2017, but progress was halted during the Covid-19 pandemic, when global travel came to a standstill. The program resumed in 2022, when Qantas officially ordered 12 Airbus A350-1000ULRs to operate these record-breaking routes. The first of those aircraft is expected to be delivered in October 2026, ahead of its commercial debut the following year.
The latest update shows major progress on assembly: in Toulouse, the aircraft’s fuselage was first transported by an Airbus Beluga — the distinctive, whale-shaped cargo plane — before being moved into a hangar, where engineers joined the wings, tail, and nose sections. With the main structure now complete, the aircraft will soon be fitted with its powerful engines and state-of-the-art flight test systems before entering the testing phase.
Beyond sheer endurance, Qantas says Project Sunrise is about transforming what it means to fly long distances. According to CEO Vanessa Hudson, the airline aims to “transform how people experience ultra long-haul travel, through science-backed design to minimize jetlag and maximize wellbeing.”
The interior of the aircraft reflects that philosophy. Instead of the usual 400 seats found on other A350-1000 models, the Qantas version will carry only 238 passengers to ensure more space and comfort. The cabin will feature luxurious first-class suites, spacious business and premium economy sections, and a specially designed “Wellbeing Zone” — a dedicated area between the premium economy and economy cabins where passengers can stretch, hydrate, and follow guided exercises during the flight.
If successful, Project Sunrise will mark one of the most significant milestones in commercial aviation since the advent of the jet age — bringing destinations that once took days to reach within a single day’s flight, and literally allowing passengers to chase the sunrise across the globe.