Qantas to Launch World's Longest Direct Flight Between London and Sydney in October 2027

Qantas Airways plans to launch the world's longest direct flight next year, operating a nonstop service between London and Sydney with a flight duration of up to 22 hours. The Sydney-based airline unveiled its first specially-modified Airbus A350-1000 jet on Thursday, which will regularly make the 17,015-kilometer (10,573-mile) journey beginning in October 2027. The flight is expected to take between 19 and 22 hours, surpassing Singapore Airlines' current longest direct route between Singapore and New York City, which covers 15,349 kilometers in under 19 hours.

To accommodate the ultra-long-haul distance, Qantas has customized the A350-1000ULR to carry only 238 passengers compared to the standard aircraft's capacity of 480. The configuration includes 140 economy seats, 64 premium economy seats, and 34 business class seats. A key distinguishing feature from competitors is that Qantas will operate economy service on this route, whereas Singapore Airlines' Flight SQ24 operates exclusively premium cabins. The economy passengers will have access to a Wellbeing Zone located between economy and premium economy cabins, where they can stretch and access refreshments. The aircraft includes an additional fuel tank carrying 20,000 liters of fuel to extend range.

Passengers will realize significant time savings with the direct service, which will save up to four hours compared to flights making a stop in Singapore. Qantas has announced that tickets will go on sale in February, with direct flights commanding a price premium over connecting services. Following establishment of the Sydney-London route, Qantas plans to launch its next ultralong-haul direct service on the Sydney-New York route, covering a distance of 16,013 kilometers (9,950 miles). Industry experts note that such extended flights rely heavily on premium passenger revenue to achieve profitability, given weight constraints that limit cargo capacity on ultra-long-haul routes.