Inside the world’s longest non-stop flight set to launch next year, where travelers will see the sunrise twice | –

Passengers traveling between Sydney and London or Sydney and New York will soon be able to cross more than 10,000 miles without a single stop, as Australia’s national carrier Qantas prepares to launch what will become the longest direct commercial flight ever operated.The flights, part of the airline’s Sunrise project, are expected to begin in the first half of 2027 using Airbus A350-1000ULR (ultra-long range) aircraft of the special configuration. Each flight is expected to last about 22 hours, allowing passengers to watch the sunrise twice during a single flight as the plane effectively chases daylight around the world.The project represents one of the most ambitious attempts to date to reshape long-haul aviation by eliminating traditional refueling stops.

A 22-hour flight designed to transform long-distance travel

The new non-stop flights will connect Sydney to London (10,573 miles) and Sydney to New York (10,100 miles), distances that currently require at least one refueling stop.According to Qantas, removing these stops could cut up to four hours off current travel times, radically changing how passengers travel between Australia, Europe and North America.Qantas launched Project Sunrise in 2017, aiming to operate direct flights from the east coast of Australia to London and New York.

Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said the project, announced at a Qantas event at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) hangar in September 2024, aims to overcome the historical “tyranny of distance” that has long shaped travel to and from Australia, “and radically change the way our customers travel around the world”.Hudson added:“These flights will shave up to four hours off the flight and change the way people experience ultra-long-distance travel, with science-backed design to minimize jet lag and maximize wellbeing.”The aircraft chosen for the project, an Airbus A350-1000ULR, was selected after Qantas placed an order for 12 specially modified aircraft in May 2022.

The aircraft is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent engines and equipped with an additional 20,000-litre fuel tank, and can travel much further than standard versions of the A350.The first of these aircraft is scheduled to be delivered at the end of 2026, with test flights planned between Australia and New Zealand to allow pilots and crew to familiarize themselves with the aircraft before long-range operations begin.

Why is it called the Sunrise Project?

The name of the program comes from the unique feature of these very long flights.Travelers are expected to see the sunrise twice during one flight, something aviation enthusiasts say will become a special experience for the route.The plane will depart Sydney late in the evening and head west through Asia and the Middle East. As the plane chases daylight across time zones, passengers will see the sun rise once during the flight and then see it rise again near Europe or North America.

The name also echoes the history of aviation. During World War II, so-called “double sunrise” flights were operated between Perth and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). These endurance missions were so long that the sun rose twice during the flight.

In-plane inspection

Daily Mail reporter Paudie Prendergast, who was invited by Qantas to preview aspects of the project, described visiting a mock-up of the cabin’s wellness area and touring the facility where the aircraft will be maintained.He wrote that he was given a “whistle-eye tour” of Hangar 96 at Qantas Air Force Base at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport, where the new aircraft will be serviced.Within the aircraft itself, the airline is planning a much lower passenger density compared to standard A350 aircraft.Instead of the usual 300-plus seats, the Project Sunrise layout will carry 238 passengers, arranged as follows:

All cabins will include high-speed Wi-Fi at no extra cost, while the reduction in seating is intended to allow passengers more space to move around during the unusually long flight.

The “wellness area” is at 35,000 feet

One of the plane’s most unusual features will be a dedicated wellness area, designed to help passengers manage the physical stress of spending almost an entire day in the air.According to a Prendergast preview, the space will offer self-serve wellness refreshments aimed at staying hydrated, as well as space for stretching and light exercise.Large screens will display guided stretching routines, and the walls will include exercise handles to support movement during the ride.Prendergast described the space as “a yoga studio (of sorts) at 35,000 feet, or simply a place where people might want to socialize.”David Cowen, the plane’s interior designer, who has worked on the project since 2018, told The New York Times: Daily Mail Balancing aesthetic and engineering constraints was a complex task.He said:“We had a team of six people working on it full-time for two years – things like the weight of the aircraft, maintainability, safety and comfort all had to be balanced with the aesthetic decisions we made.”

Flight design minimizes jet lag

Given the extreme lengths of flights, Qantas has partnered with the Charles Perkins Center at the University of Sydney to study ways to reduce fatigue and jet lag.The research influenced many aspects of cabin design, including lighting patterns and meal timing.Lighting systems will mimic “the unique quality of light in the Australian outback”, while meal services will be timed to match passengers’ circadian rhythms, helping travelers adapt more easily to new time zones.

From multi-day trips to single trips

The upcoming flights represent a radical shift from the early days of travel between Australia and Europe.The route between Sydney and London, historically known as the “Kangaroo Road”, took several days.In the 1940s, passengers traveled on Lockheed Constellation aircraft, stopping along the way in Darwin, Singapore, Calcutta, Karachi, Cairo, Tripoli and Rome, often spending the night in Singapore and Cairo.These early planes relied on four turbofan engines and had cramped cabins, making the flight long, noisy, and much less comfortable than modern long-haul flights.However, those flights were once considered a technological marvel.Today, a trip that previously required four to five days can be completed in less than one day.

The next step in ultra-long distance flying

Project Sunrise will surpass the current longest non-stop passenger flight, which runs between Singapore and New York and lasts just over 19 hours.There are other very long routes, such as flights between Shanghai and Buenos Aires, but these require a stop for refueling.On the contrary However, Qantas’ new services will remain airborne throughout the entire journey.If successful, it could signal a broader shift toward direct, ultra-long-haul travel, which could reshape how airlines design planes and long-haul routes in the coming years.