Australia’s national carrier Qantas has confirmed an order for 12 Airbus A350-1000s for its "final frontier" of long-haul travel and enable non-stop flights to Australia from any other city including New York and London from late 2025 by cutting off up to four hours off total travel time compared with one-stop options today.
Customers onboard Qantas’ new fleet of A350 aircraft, codenamed "Project Sunrise" for the airline’s history of endurance flying, can be treated to First Class suites with a separate bed, recliner lounge chair and personal wardrobe; a new Business suite; a new Premium Economy seat pitched at 40 inches, a new Economy seat pitched at 33 inches; and a dedicated Wellbeing Zone designed for movement, stretching and hydration. It has a total seat count of 238, the lowest compared with any other A350-1000 currently in service.
In the future, global travellers can see more direct routes to Australia; "significantly reduced" point-to-point travel time; and a cabin interior and service design influenced by medical and scientific research carried out on three Project Sunrise research flights from New York and London to Sydney in 2019.
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said: “For more than 100 years, Qantas has been at the forefront of transforming the way the world travels, particularly through direct flights. Now, the A350 and Project Sunrise will make almost any city in the world just one flight away from Australia. It’s the last frontier and the final fix for the tyranny of distance that has traditionally challenged travel to Australia.
According to Joyce, first Project Sunrise flights will be from New York and London, but the aircraft will also be able to operate non-stop flights to Australia from destinations such as Paris and Frankfurt.
In addition, Qantas highlights that Project Sunrise aircraft will be carbon neutral, with all of its emissions offset.
