Qantas to Launch History-Making Nonstop Flights from Australia to London
Qantas will launch its world-first nonstop services between Sydney and London from October 2027, marking the first time the Kangaroo Route has ever been flown nonstop from Australia’s east coast.
Today’s announcement comes as the national carrier unveiled its first Airbus A350-1000ULR in Qantas livery at Airbus’ manufacturing facility in Toulouse, the result of years of development to conquer the final frontier of long-haul aviation as part of Project Sunrise.
Qantas has been flying between Sydney and London since 1947, when the original Kangaroo Route took four days with seven stops in Darwin, Singapore, Calcutta, Karachi, Cairo, Castel Benito and Rome, on its way to the UK.
The new nonstop flights will cut up to 4 hours off travel time compared to current one-stop services. These historic ultra-long-haul services will operate alongside Qantas’ existing Perth-London and Sydney-Singapore-London services. The first Project Sunrise Sydney-to-London services will go on sale in February 2027.
The A350-1000ULR has been specifically manufactured by Airbus for Project Sunrise and fitted with an additional 20,000-liter fuel tank, enabling the aircraft to fly more than 16,000 kilometers nonstop for up to 22 hours. Qantas will take delivery of 12 aircraft in total, each configured with 238 seats across four cabins.
A second aircraft is moving through its eight-week testing and certification program, having taken flight for the first time earlier this month.
Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said confirmation of the launch route marks a new dawn of travel for customers around the world.
“Qantas was built on the belief that Australia’s distance from the rest of the world should never stand in the way. The pioneering spirit of generations of our people has forged that path ever since, and today is the most significant step in that mission in our 105-year history.
“Since we first flew the Kangaroo Route in 1947, where we stopped seven times on the way to London, every generation of aircraft has taken a stop out of the journey. Today, we’re taking out the last one.
“We made a commitment in 2017 that Qantas would conquer the final frontier of long-haul aviation and connect Australia’s east coast directly to London, something that has never before been possible. From October 2027, that promise becomes reality.”
Australian Minister for Trade and Tourism Senator Don Farrell said: “Every year, millions of people travel between Australia and the United Kingdom to visit family, for holidays or for business, and from 2027 the journey will become more comfortable, quicker and easier.
“This is a significant milestone for aviation and tourism in both Australia and the UK and a demonstration of the strong friendship between our two nations.
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“Australia is a world class tourism destination and the new direct route launched by Qantas will help bring more people to our shores to experience the best we have to offer.”
UK Tourism Minister Stephanie Peacock said: “This is a historic moment, not just for British aviation and tourism, but for the millions of passengers who will experience flying from Sydney to London non-stop for the first time.
“Qantas’ decision to make London the first destination for Project Sunrise is a powerful vote of confidence in the UK as a hub for global tourism, and a reflection of the deep ties between our two countries.”
Since 2018, more than 1.7 million passengers have flown on Qantas’ non-stop long-haul services from Perth to London, Rome and Paris, and from Melbourne to Dallas and from Auckland to New York, with these routes recording the highest customer satisfaction scores on the airline’s international network. Daily nonstop services between Sydney and London, starting in late 2027, will significantly expand travel options for customers across Australia traveling to the UK and Europe.
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