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London–Sydney non-stop: the world’s longest flight is changing the way we dream of Australia

From 2027, Qantas aims to connect London and Sydney with a record-breaking non-stop flight lasting up to 22 hours. An extreme, fascinating and symbolic journey that could forever change the way we reach Australia.

NEWS

Rebecca P. & Raffaele F.

6/22/20263 min read

London–Sydney non-stop: the Qantas flight bringing Australia closer to the world

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A direct journey to the other side of the planet

There is something irresistibly romantic about the idea of boarding a plane, settling into your seat and opening your eyes again on the other side of the planet: no stopovers, no rushing between gates, no suspended hours spent in an airport halfway across the world. Just one single, very long trajectory through the sky.

From London to Sydney on a direct flight: this is Qantas’ promise with Project Sunrise, the project aiming to launch a non-stop connection between Australia and Europe from October 2027.

It is set to become a flight that will make commercial aviation history: around 17,000 kilometres, up to 22 hours in the sky and an idea as simple as it is revolutionary — making Australia feel closer, more accessible and more immediate.

The new era of the Kangaroo Route

For decades, travelling to Australia has meant long intercontinental routes, strategic stopovers in Asia or the Middle East, carefully planned connections and jet lag to patiently overcome.

The famous “Kangaroo Route”, linking the United Kingdom and Australia, has always been more than just an air route: it is almost a rite of passage for those dreaming of the Southern Hemisphere. With this new direct London–Sydney flight, however, that ritual takes on a different form. The distance does not disappear, but the perception of the journey changes.

We are not simply talking about a technical record, but about a new way of imagining a destination.

Australia, often seen as “too far away” for a trip to fit around holidays, work and everyday life, suddenly becomes more tangible. Sydney is no longer just a postcard to place on the list of future dreams, but a destination that feels a few hours closer, one stopover lighter and a little less tiring to reach.

The comfort and challenge of a record-breaking flight

The flight will be operated with Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft, designed for ultra-long-haul routes and configured with fewer passengers than the standard capacity. The goal is not only to get the aircraft to the other side of the world, but to make the onboard experience sustainable for those spending almost an entire day in the air.

For this reason, Qantas has focused on extra space, cabins designed around comfort and dedicated wellbeing areas where passengers can stretch, move around and break up that feeling of stillness that is so typical of long flights.

There is no doubt that 22 hours on a plane will be a small test of endurance, a journey within the journey, but for many travellers the advantage will be clear: avoiding a stopover means reducing dead time, minimising the risk of missed connections, simplifying the itinerary and reaching the destination in a more seamless way.

A new way of looking at the world map

Qantas Project Sunrise will not make Australia “close” in the geographical sense of the word: Sydney will remain far away, but it will become more accessible, more reachable and less fragmented as a journey. And in an age where time has become one of travel’s most valuable currencies, removing a stopover can truly make a difference.

Perhaps the future of travel will not only be about shorter flights, but smoother journeys. Routes that simplify the experience and leave more room for the destination. Travel moments that begin the second you step on board, knowing that the next airport will be your final one.

And so yes, 22 hours in the sky are undoubtedly a lot, but if Sydney, the ocean, the Australian summer, sunsets over the Harbour Bridge and that priceless feeling of having truly arrived somewhere far away are waiting for you on the other side, perhaps the world’s longest journey also becomes one of its most fascinating.

In the coming months, Project Sunrise will continue to be talked about, from fare details and cabin configurations to practical tips on how to face an ultra-long-haul flight. And when the first non-stop London–Sydney service takes off, it will not just be an aircraft departing — it will be a new way of looking at the world map.

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