Qantas to launch nonstop Sydney–New York flights in 2028
Qantas confirms the second Project Sunrise route, an 18-hour nonstop service that will be the first direct link between Australia and New York.
What to know
- Qantas will begin the first-ever nonstop Sydney-New York service in mid-2028, an 18-hour flight cutting over three hours off current travel times.
- The route is the second leg of Project Sunrise, following nonstop Sydney-London flights starting October 2027.
- Specially modified Airbus A350-1000ULR jets with extra fuel tanks will fly up to 22 hours nonstop; 12 aircraft are on order, each seating 238 across four cabins.
- Tickets go on sale in August 2027; Qantas has signalled a roughly 20% fare premium over its current Sydney-London route via Singapore.
“New York has always captured the imagination, and for generations, reaching it from Australia has meant breaking up the journey somewhere along the way.”
Vanessa Hudson, Qantas Group CEO · Quartz ↗ · Sep 22
Vanessa Hudson Qantas Group CEORob Marcolina Qantas finance chief
Neil Perry Celebrity chefDavid Caon Cabin designer
How it unfolded 3 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts
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New route follows Sydney-London Project Sunrise launch
Coverage frames New York as the second Project Sunrise destination after nonstop Sydney-London service, due to start in October 2027, with the first A350-1000ULR delivery expected by April 2027 following a record-breaking Melbourne-to-Toulouse test flight in July.
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first by ABC7 New York, 17h ago · also The Guardian, Euronews, Quartz
4 more headlines
- Qantas announces when Sydney-New York non-stop flights will start SMH.com.au · 17h ago
- Qantas announces 18-hour direct flights from Sydney to New York with onboard ‘wellbeing zones’ The Guardian · 17h ago
- Project Sunrise update: Qantas to launch non-stop flights between Sydney and New York from 2028 Euronews · 15h ago
- Qantas will launch its first nonstop New York to Sydney flights in 2028 Quartz · 14h ago
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first by WSJ US Business, 1d ago
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Qantas sets ticket sale date and pricing premium
Tickets for the Sydney-New York route go on sale in August 2027; Qantas has signalled a roughly 20% premium over its Sydney-London fares that currently transit Singapore.
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first by Sydney Morning Herald, 1d ago · also NYT Business, CNBC, Guardian
3 more headlines
- Qantas’s New York-to-Sydney ‘Project Sunrise’ Flights to Take Off in 2028 The New York Times · 1d ago
- Qantas to start selling tickets next year for its New York to Sydney nonstop flight CNBC · 1d ago
- Qantas announces 18-hour direct flights from Sydney to New York Guardian · 1d ago
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first by The Daily Telegraph, 17h ago
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Hudson cites rising demand for ultra-long-haul travel
Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said patronage on New York routes has nearly doubled since 2023 and that willingness to book ultra-long-haul flights has risen sharply, drawing on lessons from the carrier's Perth-London route.
“What we have been able to learn from that is that there is absolutely a customer who wants this and is prepared to pay a premium for it.”
— Vanessa Hudson -
First Nonstop New York-to-Sydney Flights to Take Off in 2028 https://www. nytimes.com/2026/09/22/travel/ qantas-project-sunrise-flights.html?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub Posted into Business @ business-thenewsdesk
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background
Airline details aircraft and cabin configuration — The route will use specially configured Airbus A350-1000ULR jets fitted with an extra 20,000-litre fuel tank enabling flights of over 16,000 km and up to 22 hours; each of the 12 aircraft on order will seat 238 passengers across first, business, premium economy and economy, including a mid-flight wellbeing zone.
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background
Qantas confirms nonstop Sydney-New York flights for 2028 — At a cocktail reception in New York, Qantas announced it will begin the first-ever nonstop commercial service between Sydney and New York in mid-2028, cutting more than three hours off the current fastest journey.