Qantas Connects Sydney and New York Without Stops for the First Time in Aviation History

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Qantas expects Project Sunrise to change air travel between Australia and the United States with the first non-stop flight from Sydney to New York. The Airbus A350-1000ULR is designed for the ultralonghaul flight and will reduce travel time between both countries by more than three hours, and eliminate the need for a stopover. Flights between these two global cities will be non-stop.

The historic Sydney–New York route will mark the first direct commercial connection between Australia’s east coast and the Big Apple, eliminating the need for a stopover and significantly improving travel times for passengers. Tickets for the inaugural service are expected to go on sale from August 2027.

The new ultra-long-haul flights will reduce journey times by more than three hours compared with today’s one-stop services, creating a faster and more convenient travel option between two major global cities.

Sydney–New York becomes the second confirmed route under Project Sunrise, following the planned launch of Qantas’ first non-stop Sydney–London service in October 2027.

Qantas has a long history of connecting Australia with New York. The airline first operated flights to the city in 1958 as part of its first round-the-world service, with the journey routing through Fiji, Honolulu and San Francisco. Currently, Qantas operates a daily one-stop service between Sydney and New York via Auckland.

The new Project Sunrise flights will be operated by specially configured Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft designed specifically for ultra-long-distance operations. Each aircraft will feature an additional 20,000-litre fuel tank, allowing it to travel more than 16,000 kilometres and remain airborne for up to 22 hours without stopping.

Qantas will receive a total of 12 Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft for Project Sunrise. Each aircraft will feature a premium four-cabin configuration with 238 seats, designed to provide greater comfort and enhanced passenger experience on some of the world’s longest commercial flights.

The first aircraft is currently completing its final flight test programme. It recently completed a record-breaking 24-hour and 24-minute non-stop flight from Melbourne to Toulouse, marking the longest flight ever conducted by a commercial airliner during testing. The first aircraft is expected to be delivered to Qantas in April 2027.

Growing demand for Australia–United States travel is supporting the expansion of ultra-long-haul services. Visitor arrivals from the United States to Australia have increased year-on-year, while demand for travel between Sydney and New York on Qantas has almost doubled since 2023.

Passenger interest in non-stop long-haul flights has also continued to rise, with booking intentions increasing from 58 per cent to 70 per cent since February 2026. Among premium travellers, demand has reached 80 per cent, highlighting strong interest in faster and more convenient international connections.

Qantas experience with long-range routes has strengthened confidence in Project Sunrise. Since 2018, nearly two million passengers have travelled on the airline’s non-stop long-haul services, including Perth–London, Perth–Rome, Perth–Paris, Melbourne–Dallas and Auckland–New York routes.

These existing ultra-long-haul services have recorded some of the highest customer satisfaction levels across Qantas’ international network, demonstrating growing passenger acceptance of direct long-distance travel.

The introduction of the Sydney–New York route in 2028 will significantly expand travel choices between Australia and the United States, strengthening connections for leisure travellers, business passengers and international visitors seeking faster access between two major global destinations.

Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said adding New York to Project Sunrise was a defining moment for Australia and the US.

“Conquering the tyranny of distance has been part of who Qantas is from the very beginning. Reaching New York non-stop completes a vision we set out many years ago, and it’s a moment of enormous pride for the thousands of our people who have been working hard to make Project Sunrise a reality.

“New York has always captured the imagination, and for generations, reaching it from Australia has meant breaking up the journey somewhere along the way. From 2028, our customers will be able to board in Sydney and arrive in New York around 18 hours later without stopping once, cutting around three hours off the current fastest travel time. That changes what’s possible for travel between our two countries.

“Flying these distances is only worth doing if our customers arrive feeling their best, and that belief has shaped everything we’ve built. Over the past decade, working alongside experts, we’ve designed the aircraft and the onboard experience around the science of ultra long-haul travel, from the lighting to the meals to a world-first Wellbeing Zone. This is a fundamentally different way to fly.”

Ahead of the aircraft’s arrival, Qantas has begun pilot training on Australia’s first Airbus A350 flight simulator in Sydney. The airline plans to train more than 360 pilots and 1,200 cabin crew members to operate the Project Sunrise fleet, with the full training programme completed by the time the 12th A350-1000ULR aircraft joins the fleet.