Key facts
- Qantas will launch direct 18-hour flights from Sydney to New York starting mid-2028.
- The new route will be the second under Qantas' Project Sunrise expansion, following Sydney to London flights in October 2027.
- This will be the first direct commercial flight between Sydney's Kingsford-Smith airport and New York's JFK airport.
- Current Qantas flights from Sydney to New York have a stopover in Los Angeles and take 21 hours.
- Tickets for the Sydney-New York route will go on sale in August 2027.
- Qantas has ordered 12 Airbus A350-1000ULRs, designed for flights up to 22 hours non-stop.
Qantas is expanding its ultra long-haul offerings with plans for direct flights between Sydney and New York, set to commence in mid-2028. This new route, part of the airline's Project Sunrise initiative, will significantly reduce travel time, cutting at least three hours from the current 21-hour journey that includes a stopover in Los Angeles. This will mark the first non-stop commercial service connecting Sydney's Kingsford-Smith Airport to New York's JFK Airport.
The airline has ordered 12 specialized Airbus A350-1000ULRs, aircraft designed for flights exceeding 16,000 kilometers and up to 22 hours non-stop. A test flight of this model recently completed a 24-hour, 24-minute journey from Melbourne to Toulouse, France. The new aircraft will feature a premium cabin configuration, with only 140 of the 238 seats in standard economy, including first class suites, business suites, and premium economy.
Qantas anticipates that these Project Sunrise flights, coupled with sustained demand for premium travel, will boost its earnings by $400 million over the next five years and increase profit margins from 4% to 10%. Demand for Qantas flights between New York and Australia has reportedly doubled since 2023. While short-term US arrivals to Australia saw a 4% increase in the year to July 2026, Australian travel to the US decreased by 9% in the same period.
Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson expressed pride in achieving the vision of non-stop New York flights, highlighting the efforts of the airline's staff. The company is actively training pilots and engineers on the new A350 aircraft, with plans to train over 360 pilots and 1,200 cabin crew.