Qantas has taken a significant step toward launching the world’s longest nonstop commercial flight in October 2027. This marks an industry first, connecting Sydney and London with a journey expected to last up to 22 hours.

On Wednesday, the Australian airline announced that nonstop flights between the two cities will begin operating as part of its most anticipated Project Sunrise, connecting Australia’s east coast directly with major international hubs.

The aircraft is specifically designed for flights traversing vast oceans and includes an additional 20,000-litre fuel tank that enables it to fly more than 16,000 kilometers.

Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson said in a statement: “ 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.”

Qantas confirmed that the A350-1000ULR aircraft designed for the project will carry 238 passengers across four cabin classes.

In line with expectations, it will surpass Singapore' s nonstop service between Singapore and NewYork. For those unversed, the Singapore route is currently considered the world’s largest scheduled commercial flights.

The company confirmed more than 1.7 million passengers have already flown on its existing long-haul routes, including services linking Perth with London, Rome, and Paris since 2018.

At present, further details have not been revealed, the airline confirmed that pilots, cabin crew are already undergoing necessary training ahead of the official aircraft entry into service.