Qantas Delays Project Sunrise Flights to Late 2027

Qantas has delayed the launch of its Project Sunrise nonstop flights between Australia's east coast and New York or London until late 2027. The airline had previously targeted early 2027. Airbus notified Qantas of delivery delays for the specially modified A350-1000 aircraft required for the routes.

The first aircraft was scheduled for delivery in late 2026. It is now expected in Australia in April 2027. Airbus attributed the revised schedule to supply chain issues affecting A350 production, including interior components and fuselage assemblies from the former Spirit AeroSystems facility in North Carolina.

The program aims to operate flights lasting up to 22 hours. The airline selected the Airbus A350-1000 over the Boeing 777X in 2019. It has ordered 12 of the modified aircraft. Qantas has stated it requires at least three aircraft to operate the schedule reliably.

The A350-1000ULR includes an additional 20,000-liter fuel tank and a dedicated wellbeing zone for economy passengers. Qantas worked with University of Sydney researchers on passenger wellbeing during long flights. The first aircraft has entered the paint shop at Airbus Toulouse and is preparing for flight testing.