Project Sunrise (Qantas)

Uncommon card · No. 140503

Project Sunrise is an initiative by Qantas to operate the world's first non-stop commercial flights from Australia's east coast to London, New York, and potentially other ultra-long-haul destinations. The project was launched in 2017 when Qantas challenged Boeing and Airbus to develop aircraft with the necessary range and performance. The company conducted research into crew and passenger fatigue, and tested approaches for minimising jetlag on extremely long flights. Qantas chose a modified version of the Airbus A350 in 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed its aircraft order until 2022, and the first delivery has since been postponed several times, to April 2027. The first of twelve Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft ordered by Qantas for the project conducted test flights between Airbus's Toulouse headquarters and Melbourne in July 2026, setting what was reported to be a distance record for a commercial airliner. Qantas plans to start passenger service between Sydney and London in October...

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