The longest commercial flight in the world is currently run by Singapore Airlines between JFK in New York and Singapore’s Changi Airport (SIN).
That long-standing frontrunner will soon be nestled between two ultra-long-haul flights that Australian flag carrier Qantas Airways is preparing to launch by 2028.
What the airline dubbed as Project Sunrise will launch a 22-hour flight from Sydney to London in October 2027, and an 18-hour flight between Sydney and New York will follow by mid-2028.
The Singapore Airlines route, meanwhile, takes just over 18.5 hours of air time in the direction of New York and over 19 hours in the direction of Singapore.
The two Project Sunrise flights were first announced in 2017 as aircraft manufacturer Airbus was developing an A350-1000ULR model capable of running the extremely long flight.
The first model left for its maiden journey from the Airbus base in Toulouse in June 2026, and the new Qantas Airways flights have now been set for October 2027 for the Sydney-London route and mid-2028 for the Sydney-New York route.
Qantas Airways will sell tickets for Sydney-New York flight in August 2027
The airline also confirmed that tickets for the New York flight will go on sale in August 2027 after years of excitement and discussion. The route was hyped by both Qantas Airways and aviation insiders for covering a distance not previously possible.
The flight will traverse 9,942 miles (16,000 kilometers) and cut the current fifth-freedom flight that Qantas runs from Sydney to New York with a stopover in LAX by just over three hours.
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“Reaching New York nonstop completes a vision we set out many years ago, and it’s a moment of enormous pride for the thousands of our people who have been working hard to make Project Sunrise a reality,” Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson said of the milestone, as Simple Flying reported.
Qantas Airways first revealed plans for “Project Sunrise” in 2017.shutterstock
How to be the first to buy a ticket on the new Qantas flights to New York and London
As it is launching earlier in October 2027, tickets for the nonstop Sydney to London flights will go on sale in February of next year.
While prices for the New York and London flights have not yet been shared, Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace previously said nonstop flights would cost approximately 20% more than the current ones with a stopover, Upgraded Points noted.
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For those who leave from Sydney, the 21-hour Qantas flight to New York with a stopover in LAX currently starts at $1,900 USD for a return ticket. The airline’s existing flight to London with a stopover in Singapore starts at $1,500 USD for a return ticket in economy.
When numbers are crunched and a little extra for the novelty is added, the new Project Sunrise flights are expected to start at $2,000 USD and go up for higher fare classes and peak travel periods.
“Demand in and out of New York on Qantas has nearly doubled since 2023, and the appetite for non-stop, ultra long-haul flying has also continued to grow,” the airline had previously said of the new route.
Related: American airline brings back very long flight to New Zealand