QANTAS: Project Sunrise delayed again, now April 2027

The first Airbus A350-1000ULR for Project Sunrise, the aircraft Qantas is banking on to finally make non-stop Sydney and Melbourne flights to London and New York a commercial reality, will now join the fleet in April 2027 according to reports in the SMH.

That is later than previously announced, when the first aircraft was expected by the end of 2026. Airbus has confirmed the delay is largely due to supply chain issues. Those now-familiar words are doing a lot of heavy lifting across the aviation industry.

Arrival

The first Qantas A350-1000ULR is already built and is now in the paint shop in Toulouse, receiving its flying kangaroo livery. Test flights are expected to begin within weeks.

After the initial delivery in April 2027, further aircraft should still follow “in quick succession”. Qantas expects to have five of the aircraft in its fleet by November 2027.

Qantas bets plenty on Project Sunrise

Project Sunrise is Qantas’ plan to fly non-stop from Australia’s east coast to ultra-long-haul destinations, including London and New York.

The specially modified Airbus A350-1000ULRs can fly for up to 22 hours, bypassing traditional stopovers in Asia, the Middle East, or North America. Qantas says the flights could shave up to four hours off current one-stop journeys.

That ability has become more attractive with the current conflict in the Middle East.

Qantas is convinced it can charge a 20% or higher premium for these premium-cabin-heavy flights.

A long sunrise

Project Sunrise was first announced in 2017, with a launch by 2022. COVID put paid to that plan, and it seems that every 12 months or so since then, Qantas has delayed the project’s start date. It’s now running five years late, and is scheduled to launch a full decade after its announcement.

Qantas confirmed an order of 12 Airbus A350-1000ULRs in May 2022, locking in the aircraft type after years of evaluation. Still looks like a good decision given that the Boeing 777 was its competitor, and is currently not scheduled to fly until 2027 as well.

The Project Sunrise aircraft will be fitted with fewer seats than a standard A350-1000, making room for extra fuel tanks.

2PAXfly Takeout

New aircraft nearly never run to schedule, so another delay is a shock to no one. However, around three years ‘post-COVID’, so to speak, seems a stretch to blame supply chain issues caused by COVID. More disruption due to the Middle East conflict is maybe an acceptable excuse.

For Australians, the advent of the Project Sunrise routes to London and New York amongst other prospective destinations is going to reduce the disruptions that conflicts like in the Middle East will continue to cause. And that is going to make Australian travellers happy, even if it will cost them more.