Qantas Delays Sydney-London Non-Stop Flights to October 2027

Qantas has again delayed its planned non-stop service between Sydney and London, with the flights now scheduled to start in October 2027.

But the airline noted on Wednesday that “aircraft delivery, on-sale and service commencement” were all “subject to regulatory approvals and aircraft certification”.

Qantas previously blamed delays on an extended wait for delivery of new Airbus A350s designed specifically for the new ultra-long-haul flights from Australia’s east coast.

Qantas announced Project Sunrise in 2017. The Covid-19 pandemic pushed back the airline’s predicted 2022 launch and, since then, the service has been repeatedly delayed.

In November 2025, the company said the service would start in the first half of 2027, with Airbus set to deliver the first specially configured A350-1000ULR by late 2026.

But Airbus earlier this month revealed the first aircraft would be delivered in April 2027, pushing back the start date yet again.

The Qantas chief executive, Vanessa Hudson, said on Wednesday: “We made a commitment in 2017 that Qantas would conquer the final frontier of long-haul aviation and connect Australia’s east coast directly to London … From October 2027, that promise becomes reality.”

Direct flights between Sydney and London were expected to be four hours shorter than typical one-stop flights, Qantas said. The airline is already flying Perth to London and Sydney to London via Singapore services.

The A350-1000ULR is designed to fly 16,000km over 22 hours non-stop, utilising an extra 20,000 litre fuel tank. Qantas is buying 12 aircraft with 238 seats rather than the 300-plus seats on other A350-1000s.

The first Project Sunrise Sydney to London tickets could go on sale in February 2027, the airline said on Wednesday. Qantas did not disclose prices.

Qantas also plans a Sydney to New York non-stop route. The airline said it would reveal a launch date for the US direct flights sometime in 2027.