Investing.com -- Qantas Airways (ASX:QAN) announced Wednesday that London will be the first destination for what will become the world’s longest direct commercial flight, a roughly 20-hour journey from Sydney that will eliminate the traditional stopover on the Kangaroo Route.
The Australian carrier plans to begin selling tickets in February and launch the flights in October 2027, CEO Vanessa Hudson said at an event in Toulouse, France.
The flights are part of the airline’s Project Sunrise initiative, which will later include service to New York using modified Airbus (EPA:AIR) A350-1000ULR jets designed to fly up to 22 hours with 238 passengers on board.
The announcement is part of a fleet overhaul that began in 2017 when Qantas challenged Airbus and Boeing to develop planes capable of ultra-long-haul non-stop routes from Australia.
The airline aims to reduce what was once a five-day trek on the Kangaroo Route to London to around 19 to 21 hours, depending on routing and winds. Qantas will use polar routes about a quarter of the time, particularly during the northern hemisphere winter. The trip currently takes some 24 to 25 hours via Singapore.
The project involves billions of dollars in aircraft, cabin upgrades and research into passenger health on ultra-long flights.
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