Qantas will launch non-stop flights between Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) and New York JFK from mid-2028, using the first 12 Airbus A350-1000ULRs it has on order. The carrier confirmed the route on September 23, 2026, making it the second Project Sunrise service after Sydney–London Heathrow, which begins in October 2027.

The Sydney–New York flight is expected to take around 18 hours, cutting roughly three hours off the current fastest travel time. Qantas today operates a daily one-stop Sydney–New York service via Auckland. Demand in and out of New York on Qantas has nearly doubled since 2023, according to the airline. Tickets for the non-stop service go on sale from August 2027.

Each Project Sunrise A350 carries 238 seats across four cabins. The bespoke A350-1000ULR variant features an extra 20,000-litre fuel tank, giving the aircraft a range of more than 16,000 kilometres and endurance of up to 22 hours. The Sydney–Heathrow sector will run roughly 20 hours.

Test program nears completion

The first test aircraft, registered F-WULR and named Vega, is in the final stages of its flight test program. In July 2026 it flew from Toulouse-Blagnac (TLS) to Melbourne (MEL) in around 19 hours. On July 27, 2026, it departed Australia on a transpacific routing over the US and Canada, landing back in France the following day. The marathon flight lasted 24 hours and 23 minutes.

Airbus expects to deliver the first aircraft to Qantas in April next year. Pilot training is already underway on Australia's first A350 simulator. More than 360 Qantas pilots and 1,200 cabin crew will be trained to operate the Project Sunrise fleet by the time the 12th A350-1000ULR arrives.

Commercial context

The service will be the first-ever non-stop commercial link between Australia and New York. Qantas has operated non-stop long-haul services since 2018 — Perth to London, Rome and Paris, plus Melbourne–Dallas and Auckland–New York — carrying nearly two million passengers on those routes. The airline says the aircraft and onboard experience have been designed around the science of ultra-long-haul travel.

"Conquering the tyranny of distance has been part of who Qantas is from the very beginning," Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said. "Reaching New York non-stop 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."

She added: "From 2028, our customers will be able to board in Sydney and arrive in New York around 18 hours later without stopping once, cutting around three hours off the current fastest travel time. That changes what's possible for travel between our two countries."

There had been speculation that Sydney–New York would be the first Project Sunrise route, but Qantas confirmed in June 2026 that Heathrow would launch the program in October 2027.

Aircraft delivery, ticket sales and service commencement all remain subject to regulatory approvals and aircraft certification. With the first A350-1000ULR delivery targeted for April and ticket sales set to open in August 2027, the mid-2028 start date gives Qantas a narrow margin to absorb any certification or delivery slippage.