Qantas ready for Sydney-New York flyover. Photo: Qantas Qantas will launch nonstop flights between Sydney and New York from mid-2028, creating the first direct commercial service between Australia and New York as part of its Project Sunrise program.
Tickets for the inaugural flights arne expected to go on sale from August 2027. Qantas says the nonstop service will cut more than three hours from the total travel time compared with the fastest current one-stop options.
The Sydney-New York route becomes the second Project Sunrise destination to be confirmed. Qantas plans to begin nonstop Sydney-London flights in October 2027.
The airline first flew to New York in 1958 as part of a round-the-world service, with the journey from Sydney routing through Fiji, Honolulu and San Francisco. Today, Qantas operates a daily one-stop Sydney-New York service via Auckland.
Photo: QantasProject Sunrise flights will be operated by specially configured Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft. The aircraft will have an additional 20,000-liter fuel tank, allowing them to fly more than 16,000 kilometers and operate for up to 22 hours nonstop.
Qantas has ordered 12 Project Sunrise aircraft, each configured with 238 seats across four cabins.
The first aircraft is currently completing its flight test program and recently completed a 24-hour, 24-minute nonstop flight from Melbourne to Toulouse. Qantas says the aircraft is expected to be delivered in April next year.
Photo: QantasQantas says demand for travel between Australia and the United States continues to increase. U.S. visitor arrivals to Australia are up 5% year over year, while demand for travel to and from New York on Qantas has nearly doubled since 2023.
The airline also says interest in ultra-long-haul travel has increased, with intent to book such services rising from 58% to 70% since February and reaching 80% among premium travelers.
Since 2018, almost two million passengers have flown Qantas' nonstop long-haul services, including routes from Perth to London, Rome and Paris, as well as Melbourne-Dallas and Auckland-New York.
Qantas says those services have recorded the highest customer satisfaction scores across its international network.
In February, Qantas said it will begin to operate a new direct seasonal route between Australia's largest city and Las Vegas starting in December 2026, becoming the first airline in the world to operate a direct scheduled flight between the two destinations.
Photo: QantasPreparation for the new routes is already underway. Qantas pilots have started training on Australia's first Airbus A350 simulator in Sydney.
By the time the 12th Project Sunrise A350-1000ULR is delivered, more than 360 Qantas pilots and 1,200 cabin crew are expected to have completed training to operate the aircraft.
The airline is also designing the onboard experience specifically around ultra-long-haul travel, including lighting, meals and a dedicated Wellbeing Zone.
Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson described the New York route as an important milestone for Project Sunrise, saying passengers will eventually be able to board in Sydney and arrive in New York without making a stop along the way.