Project Sunrise: Qantas to fly Sydney to London via North Pole in 'very special' flight path

Qantas has added a new operational detail to its long-delayed Project Sunrise plan, saying some Sydney-to-London services will fly via a north polar route when the airline launches the nonstop flight in October 2027.

The airline says about 20% of the planned Sydney-London flights will use the northerly routing, especially during the northern winter. Qantas chief technical pilot Alex Passerini described the path as a very special flight option, according to reporting on the announcement.

The routing detail does not change the launch timetable. Qantas has already pushed the start of the nonstop service back to October 2027, after previous delays to the flagship ultra-long-haul project.

Qantas says the route choice is about operational efficiency. In some seasons, a north polar path can be faster because it takes advantage of winds and avoids some busy airspace.

Project Sunrise timeline

Project Sunrise has been one of Qantas's most closely watched long-haul plans since it was announced in 2017. The airline's goal is to link Australia's east coast directly with London and New York without a stopover.

In 2022, Qantas ordered 12 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft for the program. The company later said an extra fuel tank design had been approved in 2024, keeping the project moving forward.

By November 2025, Qantas and Airbus were showing the first Project Sunrise aircraft taking shape in Toulouse. Then, on June 18, 2026, Qantas delayed the Sydney-London launch again, setting a new target of October 2027.

Vanessa Hudson, Qantas's chief executive, said that October 2027 launch would make the airline's 2017 promise a reality.

What the service will look like

The Sydney-London service is expected to use the Airbus A350-1000ULR, a long-range version of the aircraft built for ultra-long-haul flying. Qantas says the aircraft will have 238 seats, a deliberately reduced layout for the distance involved.

The airline says the nonstop service should cut up to four hours from the journey compared with current one-stop options.

Qantas has also said tickets could go on sale in February 2027, ahead of the planned launch.

What remains open

The airline has not yet confirmed final fares, and the exact timing of the separate Sydney-New York service remains open.

For now, the Sydney-London route is the centerpiece of Project Sunrise. The addition of a north polar routing for a slice of flights shows Qantas is still refining the plan as it moves toward launch.

If the schedule holds, the route would give Qantas a flagship nonstop link between Sydney and London while testing whether premium demand can support one of the world's longest commercial flights.