Qantas plans to introduce the world's longest passenger flights from Australia to London and New York in 2024.
Known as Project Sunrise, the ultra-long-haul flights were initially scheduled for a launch date in early 2023.
Those plans were "put on ice" because of Covid-19, said Alan Joyce, chief executive of Qantas.
Speaking during a Eurocontrol Straight Talk interview on Tuesday, Joyce confirmed the airline was keen on forging ahead with the project.
"Before Covid-19, we had done three test flights, I flew on two of them. They were an amazing experience. We had picked an aircraft and were literally weeks away from ordering it. We had done the deal with Airbus. We had done a deal with our pilots," explained Joyce.
"We still want to revisit it at the end of '21, with the potential of doing it in '24 probably, and onwards," he said.
What is Project Sunrise?
The Project Sunrise operation got under way last year when Qantas flew record-breaking research flights as part of its plans to introduce new ultra-long-haul commercial flights.
Test flights from New York to Sydney and from London to Australia recorded times of just under 20 hours apiece. They gave the airline almost 60 hours of "Sunrise flying" experience and several data points on crew and passenger well-being during longer hauls.
The airline decided that the Airbus A350-1000 aircraft would be best-suited to operate the new routes, but the pandemic stopped any further progress.
If Qantas does introduce Project Sunrise flights commercially, they would take the title of the longest flight time from Qantas's existing Perth to London non-stop service. This was introduced in March 2018, but is currently paused because of Covid-19.
Joyce told Euromonitor on Tuesday that before the pandemic the Perth to London route was Qantas's most profitable, and has "the highest customer satisfaction for any route on Qantas's network, despite being the longest flight".
Passengers will need Covid-19 vaccine to fly
Travellers hoping to fly on Qantas flights in the future will need to have been vaccinated against Covid-19.
Joyce has said that vaccinations against the virus would become a prerequisite for international travellers once they become freely available.
For now, the airline has grounded almost all of its international flights in response to the pandemic. Domestically, it is rebuilding its network.
Qantas is now selling fares on flights to 62 destinations across Australia – that's five more than it was operating to pre-Covid-19.
The airline has introduced new flights from Sydney to Merimbula on the New South Wales Sapphire Coast, and will also fly to Griffith in February.
From Melbourne, Qantas will add flights to Newcastle, Merimbula, Mount Gambier, Wagga Wagga and Albury in February and March.
If you go
The flights
The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings
The stay
Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.
Top 10 most polluted cities
- Bhiwadi, India
- Ghaziabad, India
- Hotan, China
- Delhi, India
- Jaunpur, India
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Noida, India
- Bahawalpur, Pakistan
- Peshawar, Pakistan
- Bagpat, India
Villains
Queens of the Stone Age
Matador
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
