Another delay for Qantas non-stop London, New York flights?

DELAYED may once again be showing on the departures board for Qantas’ non-stop flights to London and New York, with delivery of the first Project Sunrise jet pushed back to April 2027.

Qantas most recently expected the first Airbus A350-1000ULR (Ultra Long Range) jet to arrive before the end of this year, saying in November 2025 it was “scheduled for delivery in late 2026.”

Two more deliveries were to follow across early 2027, providing the airline with the necessary three jets required for daily non-stop flights from Sydney to London or New York, “with the first commercial Project Sunrise services commencing in the first half of 2027.”

However, in a statement issued this morning, Airbus revealed “the first A350-1000ULR will now join the Qantas fleet in April 2027 (with further deliveries to follow in quick succession).”

Qantas’ revised A350 delivery timeline

Qantas maintains the delayed arrival of the first plane won’t impact the delivery of subsequent aircraft.

“While the first aircraft delivery has shifted to April 2027, the next four will follow in quick succession, putting us back on our original schedule by November,” an airline spokesperson said.

When Qantas locked in its order for these long-legged Airbus jets in May 2022, they were due to begin flying in late 2025; that target has been subsequently pushed back across 2026, then to mid-2027.

It’s now possible the launch of non-stop Project Sunrise flights could be nudged into the second half of 2027, depending on how quickly Qantas can pick up the keys to the second and third A350s.

Airbus said the delay was “largely due to the impact of supply chain issues” across the A350 program.

These issues have continued to hamper the complicated process of aircraft production at giants Airbus and Boeing, with knock-on effects on the delivery of new jets to airlines worldwide.

Specific modifications being carried out by Airbus on the Sunrise A350s include fitting an additional high-capacity fuel tank to boost flying range past 17,000km, and structural reinforcements to support the increased take-off weight imposed by the heavier fuel payload.

Airbus will soon embark on an extensive flight test program for the first assembled A350-1000ULR,  “focused primarily on the modified fuel system, which will enable non-stop flights of up to 22 hours.”

Also read: How much will Qantas charge for non-stop flights to London?

London (or New York) calling

London and New York – popular and premium destinations which today require stopovers using conventional aircraft – have both been singled out by Qantas as Project Sunrise starters.

The airline has yet to reveal which of these two cities will be the inaugural Project Sunrise route (although our money is riding on London). 

Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace has previously told Executive Traveller that the airline would retain its stopover routes – such as London via Singapore, London via Perth and New York via Auckland – as being “complementary to the direct services.”

Sydney will be “the launch city for the first Project Sunrise flights”, Qantas says, under a 2021 agreement struck with the NSW state government and worth $50 million in financial incentives to keep Qantas headquartered in Sydney.

Once Qantas has picked up the keys to all twelve A350-1000s, the Project Sunrise network will comprise four daily flights:

• Sydney-London (Heathrow)
• Sydney-New York (JFK)
• Melbourne-London (Heathrow)
• Melbourne-New York (JFK)

And before those 20+ hour marathon flights begin, Qantas plans to have the massive A350 making short hops between Australia and New Zealand.

Speaking to Executive Traveller on the sidelines of an Airbus briefing in Hamburg, Germany last year, Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said the trans-Tasman flights will help train pilots and cabin crew on the new jets.

“You need about three aircraft to provide a daily service on a route like Sydney-London or Sydney-New York,” Hudson remarked – and as a prelude to that, “we’ll be doing lots of training with our pilots and our cabin crew.”

“So to do that, we will have that first aircraft probably flying on the Tasman to New Zealand, where it gives us a little bit of time to stretch its legs, but not too far.”

This means we can expect to see special Qantas A350 flights carrying passengers on short three-hour hops like Sydney-Auckland and Melbourne-Auckland.

And these are certain to be sell-out affairs, with frequent flyers and enthusiasts keen to sample the new first class and business class suites on a quick jaunt across the pond.

Also read: Qantas A350-1000 seat map, from tip to tail