Qantas Project Sunrise goes ahead, 12 new A350-1000s ordered

[transpactraveller]

Yeah unless there's been a secret change, they've always said the first route would be Sydney-London

 

[Mwenenzi]

QF newsroom 03 Jun 2026 -- QANTAS' PROJECT SUNRISE A350-1000ULR COMPLETES MAIDEN TEST FLIGHT

<snip>
Qantas will announce the first Project Sunrise route and timing of its inaugural commercial services later this month.

 

[Doctore1003]

Would love to be in F on the inaugural flight

 

[SYD]

Would love to be in F on the inaugural flight

Keep an eye out for SYD-AKL or whatever the first revenue flight ends up being. Maybe even a couple of SYD<->MEL hops if we’re lucky.

 

[mviy]

Would love to get a J/F classic reward return to LHR on Sunrise.

 

[LionKing]

Keep an eye out for SYD-AKL or whatever the first revenue flight ends up being. Maybe even a couple of SYD<->MEL hops if we’re lucky.

I hope it will be SYD-AKL-MEL-AKL-SYD routing, which I think eventually Sunrise aircraft need to test the gates and ground handling at MEL if they wanted to do MEL-LON.

 

[Aeryn]

Yeah unless there's been a secret change, they've always said the first route would be Sydney-London

I always thought it was SYD-LHR and SYD-JFK at same time.

Maybe even a couple of SYD<->MEL hops if we’re lucky.

Yeah the A380 and B789s did quite a few SYD-MEL training runs before going long haul. Got a couple of J and PE upgrades MEL-SYD when our 737 was swapped to 789 and flights consolidated for the training.

Id also expect to see them swap out an A380/B789 on SYD-AKL-JFK or SYD-SIN-LHR before trying the full non stop.

As much as id love a classic award on these inaugural or early direct flights somehow i doubt there will be any unless P1.

 

[SYD]

As much as id love a classic award on these inaugural or early direct flights somehow i doubt there will be any unless P1.

But they usually sell those domestic hops (and TT) for the same price. There’s just the risk that you buy a ticket and the aircraft gets swapped out at short notice.

However, if it flies on the trip you book, there’s potential that they only sell J and whY, so hopefully P1/WP get free access to F seats (if booked in J) and PE seats (if booked in whY)!

 

[Aeryn]

But they usually sell those domestic hops (and TT) for the same price. There’s just the risk that you buy a ticket and the aircraft gets swapped out at short notice.

Yep thats a bonus and something id expect.

But i meant once they run the actual inauguaral non stops and for a few months thereafter i doubt there will be classic J and F available unless you are a P1.

 

[SYD]

Yeah unless there's been a secret change, they've always said the first route would be Sydney-London

SMH/The Age reporting:

“speculation that Sydney to New York may be the first route announced”​

​

Which could be due to the ME situation and SYD-JFK being a more reliable route to bed down the ops?

 

[Aeryn]

SMH/The Age reporting:

“speculation that Sydney to New York may be the first route announced”​

​

Which could be due to the ME situation and SYD-JFK being a more reliable route to bed down the ops?

Makes sense as existing flights like SYD-DFW already fly most of the way to JFK, so they would already be confident of getting at least that far and plenty of airports between LAX/DFW and JFK to set down if there are issues with the extra couple of hours without the hassel of passengers not meeting entry criteria as same country.

Less risk of diversions due to unfriendly airspace on route to/from US too.

 

[dajop]

Makes sense as existing flights like SYD-DFW already fly most of the way to JFK, so they would already be confident of getting at least that far and plenty of airports between LAX/DFW and JFK to set down if there are issues with the extra couple of hours

It's not the SYD-JFK that should be a range/diversion issue (winter storms at JFK excepted), it's the JFK-SYD sector that's the test (noting that QF22 DFW-MEL often takes ~2hrs longer than QF21 MEL-DFW).

If they're "not confident of" getting all the way from JFK to SYD (let alone SYD to LHR) by now, then that's some serious mismanagement!

 

[Aeryn]

It's not the SYD-JFK that should be a range/diversion issue (winter storms at JFK excepted), it's the JFK-SYD sector that's the test (noting that QF22 DFW-MEL often takes ~2hrs longer than QF21 MEL-DFW).

Yes ive been diverted to HNL and AKL for refueling when strong headwinds coming back from US risk not making it non stop. All Us to Aus flight are ~2 hours longer than Aus-US. But no issues with safe places to divert in HNL, NAN or AKL if needed.

If they're "not confident of" getting all the way from JFK to SYD (let alone SYD to LHR) by now, then that's some serious mismanagement!

Well they are still required to fly with passenger weight to prove it beyond the paper calculations to get clearance to fly regularly.

Either way JFK is always going to be easier than LHR as is closer and no hostile territory to over fly so more likely to be first.

 

[anat0l]

Would love to be in F on the inaugural flight

While I'm realistic that I have very, very, very little chance of flying F on the inaugural (heck, flying F at all on the QF A350-1000), I just hope that more passengers than celebrities/corporate big wigs/politicans/press/"influencers" get to fly F on that inaugural.

 

[Aeryn]

While I'm realistic that I have very, very, very little chance of flying F on the inaugural (heck, flying F at all on the QF A350-1000), I just hope that more passengers than celebrities/corporate big wigs/politicans/press/"influencers" get to fly F on that inaugural.

Nice sentiment but doubtful. I bet Hudson is on it.

 

[LondonAussie]

SMH/The Age reporting:

“speculation that Sydney to New York may be the first route announced”​

​

Which could be due to the ME situation and SYD-JFK being a more reliable route to bed down the ops?

That would be a change. Just a few months ago they were talking about Project Sunrise aircraft allowing them to fly SYD-LHR via the Arctic to avoid the ME airspace!

 

[dajop]

Either way JFK is always going to be easier than LHR as is closer and no hostile territory to over fly so more likely to be first.

Suspect hostile territory is not so problematic- as LHR will probably be similar to QF1 and current QF255.

With only a small number of airframes, the shorter (JFK) route has the benefit of extra ground time for managing the aircraft (return trip is probably 3-4 hrs shorter).

 

[mviy]

I always thought it was SYD-LHR and SYD-JFK at same time.

They need 3 aircraft for each of those routes. Sydney and Heathrow have curfews at both ends. They are not going to wait to get the 6th aircraft before starting Sunrise flights.

Even if they could somehow make it with 2 aircraft for a route they need some ability to have service recovery when there are inevitable unexpected delays. With customers paying a premium for nonstop flights regularly shifting passengers en masse to indirect flights if there are unexpected delays would not be good for the viability of Project Sunrise.