Qantas will launch nonstop flights between Sydney and New York from the middle of 2028.
The service will be the first ever nonstop commercial link between Australia and the Big Apple, and it forms the next major step in the airline’s Project Sunrise programme.
Tickets for the inaugural Sydney to New York flight are set to go on sale from August 2027.
As a result, travellers will soon be able to book a journey that connects Australia’s east coast with New York without a stop for the first time in history.
New York Joins Project Sunrise
New York is the second Project Sunrise route to be confirmed.
It follows the Sydney to London nonstop flights, which begin in October 2027.
The new flights will cut more than three hours off the total travel time compared with today’s one stop services.
In addition, they will significantly expand travel options for customers flying between Australia and the United States.
A Long History With New York
Qantas first flew to the city in 1958 as part of its inaugural round the world service.
That journey reached the biggest city in the US from Sydney via Fiji, Honolulu and San Francisco.
Today, Qantas operates a daily one stop service between Sydney and New York via Auckland.
From 2028, however, customers will no longer need to break up the journey at all.
The Aircraft Behind the Flights
Specially configured Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft will operate the Project Sunrise flights. Each jet carries an additional 20,000 litre fuel tank.
Consequently, the aircraft can fly more than 16,000 kilometres and stay airborne for up to 22 hours nonstop.
Qantas will take delivery of 12 aircraft in total. Each one will feature 238 seats across four cabins.
A Record Breaking Test Flight
The first test aircraft is now in the final stages of its flight test programme.
It recently completed a record breaking nonstop flight from Melbourne to Toulouse lasting 24 hours and 24 minutes, a first for any commercial airliner.
Qantas expects to take delivery of the first aircraft in April 2027.
Demand for New York Flights Keeps Growing
Visitor arrivals from the US are up five per cent year on year.
Meanwhile, demand in and out of New York on Qantas has nearly doubled since 2023.
Appetite for nonstop, ultra long haul flying is also rising. Intent to book has grown from 58 to 70 per cent since February this year.
Among premium travellers, that figure reaches 80 per cent.
Since 2018, nearly two million passengers have flown Qantas’ nonstop long haul services from Perth to London, Rome and Paris.
The airline also flies Melbourne to Dallas and Auckland to New York nonstop.
Notably, these routes record the highest customer satisfaction scores on the airline’s international network.
Qantas CEO Hails a Defining Moment
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,” she said.
“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.”
Hudson also stressed that passenger wellbeing sits at the heart of the project.
“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.”
Training Ramps Up Ahead of Delivery
Qantas pilots have started training on Australia’s first A350 simulator in Sydney.
By the time the 12th A350-1000ULR arrives, more than 360 Qantas pilots and 1,200 cabin crew will be trained to operate the Project Sunrise fleet.
For travellers eyeing New York, the countdown to a nonstop journey has officially begun.
Continue to follow The Aviation Hub for more analysis and insight!
Advertise with us Your brand, in front of an aviation audience Home page and in-article placements, sold directly, one advertiser per slot. From £250 a year. See the rates
