Credit: Qantas
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Long-haul loving Londoners, listen up. I come bearing some news that’s set to be right up your street runway. The world’s longest flight has been in the pipeline for eight years, and it’s finally almost ready for take off.
The flight in question will come courtesy of Australian airline, Qantas, who’ve been working on the ambitious aviation plan for nearly a decade. The initial launch date was set for 2025, but due to various unforeseen circumstances (*cough* pandemic *cough*), it had to be pushed back. But much like the flight itself, a new launch date is on the horizon, and a non-stop flight could soar from Sydney to London as soon as early 2027.
The direct flight from Sydney to London would clock in at around 22 hours in total, thereby yanking the crown for being the world’s longest flight straight off the head of Singapore Airline’s direct service from Singapore to New York. That flight is currently the longest in the world, and takes 18.5 hours (rather measly in comparison, I suppose).
Credit: Qantas
Qantas has named the plan ‘Project Sunrise’ (a nod to the fact that passengers will feast their eyes on two sunrises in the space of one singular flight) and have recently released a first look at the valiant vehicle on which this lengthy journey will take place. The aircraft is currently in its final stages of preparation, and the first is set to arrive in October 2026, giving Qantas plenty of time to run extensive tests before passengers hop on board.
The ‘Project Sunrise’ aircraft
The prospect of spending 22 hours on a plane is, admittedly, not wildly desirable. But Qantas plan on making the journey as comfortable as possible. Firstly, the passenger capacity will be just 238, compared to the usual 300. And the extra space is certainly being put to good use. Not only will each row have more legroom than 0n a usual flight, but there will be wellness zones dotted throughout the plane, too. The likes of on-screen exercise programmes will be available as well as stretch handles and hydration stations. And the lucky lot that get to fly in first class will be treated to both an armchair and a bed, as well as a wardrobe, a storage area, and a big old HD telly. Not bad, hey?
These fancy new cabins have been developed in partnership with various aviation specialists. And the lighting design and layout will all contribute towards the aircraft’s wellbeing features. The additional 20,000 litre fuel tank is what will enable the plane to fly for 22 hours non-stop, shaving at least four hours of the current journey time between the two cities.
Find out more about Qantas and Project Sunrise here.