Nonstop from New York to Sydney: Qantas targets mid-2028 for 18-hour route

New York will get its first nonstop link to Australia in mid-2028. Qantas said Tuesday that it will start flying nonstop between Sydney and New York City at that point, making it the first commercial service to connect the two without a stop.

Travelers should expect a long day in the air. The journey will run about 18 hours, which the airline says is three hours faster than current travel in either direction.

Which plane will fly New York to Sydney nonstop

The route belongs to the airline’s Project Sunrise. Qantas has picked the Airbus A350-1000 for it, and each jet gets a supplementary tank with room for 20,000 liters of fuel. That added capacity gives the plane a range of more than 16,000 kilometers, or nearly 10,000 miles, and lets it stay aloft for up to 22 hours.

A fleet of 12 of these jets is headed to Qantas. Every one of them will carry a total of 238 seats, split among four cabins.

Sydney to London was the first Project Sunrise route, with nonstop service set to begin in October 2027. The New York flight is the second one the airline has confirmed.

When tickets go on sale

Bookings for the New York route open in August 2027.

Vanessa Hudson, CEO of Qantas Group, tied the announcement to the airline’s history. “Conquering the tyranny of distance has been part of who Qantas is from the very beginning,” she said. She described the route as a moment of great pride for the thousands of staff who have worked to make Project Sunrise happen, adding: “Reaching New York non-stop completes a vision we set out many years ago.”