Qantas to launch 18-hour non-stop flights between Sydney and New York in 2028

Direct route to New York

Qantas Chief Executive Vanessa Hudson announced on 22 September 2026 in New York that the airline will launch non-stop flights between Sydney and New York in mid-2028. The 16,000-kilometer route will operate between Sydney Kingsford-Smith Airport and New York John F. Kennedy International Airport, with an estimated flight time of 18 hours. Currently, travellers on this route transit through Auckland or Los Angeles, with total journeys lasting 21 hours. Tickets for the non-stop route are scheduled to go on sale in late 2027, with Qantas indicating dates between August and October 2027. Fares are expected to cost up to 20% more than existing one-stop services.

Hudson spoke in New York regarding the passenger interest behind the route.

“New York has always captivated the imagination, and for generations, reaching it from Australia meant breaking up the journey along the way.”

Fleet specifications and seat layout

The direct service will operate on a fleet of 12 Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft built in Toulouse, France. Each aircraft is fitted with an auxiliary 20,000-liter fuel tank, enabling flight endurance of up to 22 hours. The cabin is configured for 238 passengers across four classes, featuring six first-class suites, 52 business suites, 40 premium economy seats, and 140 economy seats. Airbus and Qantas have also incorporated dedicated wellness zones to support passengers during the extended flight time. Airbus is scheduled to deliver the first of the 12 aircraft to Australia in April 2027.

First Class6

Business Class52

Premium Economy40

Economy140

First Class

6 seats

Business Class

52 seats

Premium Economy

40 seats

Economy

140 seats

Data from the article text

Project Sunrise expansion and testing

The New York service represents the second route in the Project Sunrise ultra long-haul initiative, following a Sydney-London direct flight scheduled to begin in October 2027. Qantas already operates a 17-hour direct route between Perth and London, with plans to introduce further direct flights from Perth while dropping earlier concepts for departures from Brisbane and Melbourne. In July 2026, an Airbus A350 test aircraft completed a flight from Melbourne to Toulouse, travelling over 23,000 kilometers in 24 hours and 24 minutes. That test flight exceeded a 2005 demonstration flight between Hong Kong and London by nearly two hours. Project Sunrise research dates back to 2019, when a Boeing 787-9 flew non-stop from New York to Sydney in 19 hours with 49 passengers and crew to monitor human endurance.

Hudson described the historical context of the airline's long-range operations.

“Overcoming the tyranny of distance has been part of Qantas's identity from the very beginning. Reaching New York non-stop delivers on a vision we set out many years ago, and it is a moment of immense pride for the thousands of our people who have worked hard to make Project Sunrise a reality.”

Commercial expectations and passenger demand

Qantas stated that passenger demand for flights between Australia and New York has doubled since 2023. The airline projects that Project Sunrise routes and premium cabin bookings will increase company earnings by $400 million over five years, lifting profit margins from 4% to 10%. Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics recorded a 4% increase in short-term US arrivals to Australia in the year to July 2026. Australian departures to the United States fell 9% over the same 12-month period. Existing one-stop flights through Los Angeles typically cost more than $1,400 for a one-way ticket and $1,900 for a return journey.