Qantas to revolutionize air travel with 22‑hour direct flights

Currently, the longest commercial flight in the world is the 18-hour route connecting Singapore with New York. Qantas intends to break this record by offering passengers the chance to travel from Australia to the USA without stopovers. Additionally, representatives of the airline are discussing a 19-hour flight from Sydney to London.

The flight from Sydney to New York is expected to last up to 22 hours. The Australian airline initiated the concept for Project "Sunrise" back in 2017, collaborating with Boeing and Airbus to develop aircraft capable of covering such distances.

Initially, there were plans to launch flights in 2022, but obstacles, including the COVID-19 pandemic, prevented this. Now the scheduled date for the flights is 2026.

Vanessa Hudson, who became the CEO of Qantas in 2023, emphasizes the significance of the project. "This will set the tyranny of distance as a thing of the past. Our fleet of specially designed Airbus A350s [will]overcome the tyranny of distance, with the ability to travel between Australia and almost any city in the world,” she said, as quoted by the International Business Times.

Project "Sunrise" is not named so without reason. By crossing time zones, passengers will witness the rare sight of two sunrises during a single flight.

The airline is currently working with Airbus on a new version of the aircraft designed for ultra-long-haul flights. Over 40% of the Airbus A350-1000's space will be allocated to premium cabins—first class and business class. The remaining part of the plane will have 140 seats in economy class.

First class passengers will have private spaces resembling mini hotel rooms, with reclining seats and workspaces. In economy class, the seats will also be more comfortable than those on standard aircraft, with touchscreens, USB-C chargers, and access to an in-flight entertainment zone and snacks.