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Qantas buys 12 new planes in bid to conquer ‘final frontier’ of 20-hour flights down under from London and New York

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Australian carrier Qantas said that it was aiming to restart flights to international destinations with high rates of vaccination in December after falling to a AU$1.8bn (£950m) annual loss.
Qantas reported a AU$1.8bn annual loss as a result of the Covid pandemic, which has all but killed international travel.

Australia’s national airline Qantas has ordered 12 huge new luxurious planes as it confirmed plans for new long-haul routes from London and New York, to conquer the “final frontier” of aviation.

The carrier will launch 20-hour flights on Airbus A350-1000s, complete with wellbeing zones and extra measures for comfort, taking passengers down under from across the globe in a scheme called ‘Project Sunrise.’

Each flight, which will launch in late 2025, will carry 238 passengers, with 40 per cent of the cabinet dedicated to premium seating. 

According to the firm, the cabin will be set out to offer comfort for the super-long journey, including ‘wellbeing zones’ and more spacious seating. 

It also announced the flights’ emissions will be offset. 

First class cabin on the flight

Qantas Group chief executive Alan Joyce said “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.”

The company, which launched Perth-London flights in 2017, says demand and satisfaction on the route was very high, and in a post-covid world, passengers wanted more long haul flights. 

“The 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.“

Qantas also ordered 20 Airbus A321XLRs and 20 A220-300s as its Boeing 737s and 717s are gradually retired.”