Qantas to fly nonstop Sydney–New York from 2028 on 18-hour marathon route

Qantas will launch the first-ever nonstop flights between Sydney and New York in mid-2028, an 18-hour marathon under its Project Sunrise ultra-long-haul programme.

Qantas Group chief executive Vanessa Hudson said: “From 2028, our customers will be able to board in Sydney and arrive in New York around 18 hours later without stopping once, cutting around three hours off the current fastest travel time.”

Tickets go on sale in August 2027, ahead of the mid-2028 start.

The route will be flown by specially configured Airbus A350-1000ULR jets with an extra fuel tank, fitted with first, business, premium economy and economy cabins plus a Wellbeing Zone designed with sleep scientists to fight jet lag.

“New York has always captured the imagination, and for generations, reaching it from Australia has meant breaking up the journey somewhere along the way,” Hudson said.

The launch follows strong demand for Qantas’s 17-hour-plus Perth–London service on Boeing 787 Dreamliners, with Hudson telling CNBC passengers were “prepared to pay a premium” to avoid connections. A still longer Sydney–London nonstop of around 20 hours is also planned.