Millions of Aussies to fly world's longest route - as Qantas confirms 22-hour Sydney to London service will take off next year

By CAITLIN POWELL - NEWS REPORTER Published: 23:45, 17 June 2026 | Updated: 23:45, 17 June 2026 Millions of Australians will be able to fly on Qantas' first non-stop service between Sydney and London from October next year. The national carrier unveiled its first Airbus A350-1000ULR at its manufacturing facility in Toulouse, France, on Wednesday.  The 22-hour direct journey between Sydney and London will become the longest non-stop passenger route in the world.  The current record is held by Singapore Airlines' 15,300km direct flight to New York, lasting nearly 19 hours. Qantas said the new route is expected to cut up to four hours off passengers' travel time to the United Kingdom compared to its current one-stop services. On board, there will be 238 passengers across six first class suites, 52 business suites, 40 premium economy seats and 140 economy seats.  A 'wellness zone' will be available to all passengers, offering self-serve healthy refreshments designed to support hydration at high altitude. A program of stretches will also be shown. The first Project Sunrise Sydney to London services will go on sale in February 2027. Millions of Australians will be able to fly on Qantas' first non-stop service between Sydney and London from October next year (Pictured, passengers waiting to board a Qantas plane) On board, there will be 238 passengers across six first class suites, 52 business suites, 40 premium economy seats and 140 economy seats Pictured, business class seating on upcoming Qantas A350-1000 aircraft 'Every year millions of people travel between Australia and the United Kingdom to visit family, for holidays or for business,' Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell said. 'From 2027 the journey will become more comfortable, quicker and easier. 'This is a significant milestone for aviation and tourism in both Australia and the UK and a demonstration of the strong friendship between our two nations.' The aircraft has been fitted with an additional 20,000 litre fuel tank to enable flights of more than 16,000km.  A second aircraft is undergoing testing and certification as part of Project Sunrise.  The Qantas service will operate alongside existing services between Perth and London and between Sydney and London via Singapore.  Project Sunrise will eventually connect Australia's east coast with other international destinations, including Sydney to New York services set to be announced next year.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.