Qantas to Start Non-Stop Sydney-London Flights in 2027 After Nine-Year Development

Helen Wilson, a Rolls-Royce vice president, said the engines can fly six to seven hours beyond the required duration, last four to six years, and accumulate up to 30 million flying hours. Airbus and Qantas engineers installed lighter entertainment systems, air-conditioning units and dinner plates that weigh 20 per cent less than current options.

The Independent reported the new model is 25 per cent more fuel-efficient than earlier A350 variants.

On Friday, June 19 the first ultra-long-range test aircraft completed its fourth fuel-testing flight since 2 June. The planes undergo 80 hours of examinations each month, including a 22-hour flight test. A second aircraft is in an eight-week testing program at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse.

After delivery, the initial aircraft will operate between Australia and New Zealand next summer for pilot and crew familiarisation. Nearly 40 Qantas A330 pilots are being retrained for the A350-1000ULR. By the time the twelfth aircraft arrives, more than 360 pilots and 1,200 cabin crew will be assigned to the fleet.

Captain Alex Passerini, Qantas chief technical pilot, said each flight will have four pilots and 14 cabin crew with two to three rest periods and that the new cockpits will feature LCD displays. Qantas tested sleep patterns with 27 passengers across three long-haul flights.

Professor Peter Cistulli of the University of Sydney said passengers who followed the on-screen journey planner slept better in economy than in business and that body clocks can be shifted by a few hours.

Qantas states that following its jet-lag guidance can reduce symptoms by up to four hours. Cabins will include the first “wellness zones,” where passengers can exercise with guided on-screen movements and obtain high-altitude hydration refreshments. Project Sunrise flights will normally follow conventional routes over the Middle East.

In winter the aircraft will be able to use the new North Polar Flight Path over the Pacific, Japan, Alaska, Greenland and into London. Aviation experts estimate the fastest London-Sydney flight could take about 18 hours and the slowest about 25 hours because of jet-stream effects.

When asked whether Project Sunrise would be her legacy, Hudson said she had not sought the chief-executive role and had studied accounting on her father’s advice.

“Qantas for me was history, purpose and journey,” she said.