The ultra-long-haul Project Sunrise aircraft is designed to enable non-stop Sydney–London flights starting in late 2027, with bookings opening in early 2027 and a travel-time reduction of about four hours versus current one-stop options.

Qantas plans to keep operating its A380s for Sydney–London non-stop services until around 2032, after which they will be phased out, while the A350-1000ULR becomes a core part of the fleet for the coming years.

When in service, the A350-1000ULR could enable direct Sydney–London operations via Eurasia, Europe, or the Pacific/North Pole routes, with London–Sydney flights potentially lasting about 18–20 hours.

Route adjustments may occur due to Middle East conflicts, with past Perth–London diversions to Singapore and consideration of Arctic routes to minimize disruption.

Flight-tracking data show the Toulouse–Melbourne leg as a highly followed flight, drawing tens of thousands of followers on Flightradar24.

Public interest in the Melbourne landing was very high, with over 75,000 viewers on Flightradar24 at the moment, making it the world’s most-watched flight at that time.

The author personally prefers the A380 experience over Project Sunrise, citing comfort, cost, and total travel time in a real-world comparison.

The piece is part of The Sydney Morning Herald’s national coverage and references the maiden flight timeline.

The A350-1000ULR is planned to land in Melbourne on its maiden voyage.

The article appears within a broader page that includes navigation, related video, and other news items from the outlet.

Economy seating on the new configuration is 3-3-3, with limited mobility for window-seat passengers and the need to pass others for meals, breaks, or toilets.

Flight time is highly wind-dependent, with day-to-day variability noted by the chief technical pilot.