Qantas HAS UNVEILED THE BIGGEST AIRCRAFT ORDER IN AUSTRALIAN AVIATION HISTORY – AND NOW PLANS to fly non-stop to London and New York.
Qantas’ dream of flying non-stop from Australia’s east coast to London or New York is almost a reality after it sealed a multi-billion dollar deal to buy 12 Airbus A350-1000s.
The ultra-long range aircraft are expected to begin the record-breaking flights from mid 2025, eliminating the need for stopovers in Singapore, Dubai or Los Angeles.
Qantas had intended to finalise the massive deal, known as Project Sunrise, in February 2020 but it was put on hold when the coronavirus pandemic swept the world.
“The A350 and Project Sunrise will make any city just one flight away from Australia,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said at a packed media conference at Hangar 96 in Sydney this morning. “It’s the last frontier and the final fix for the tyranny of distance.”
The new aircraft promises to raise the bar for business class and will push the premium travel envelope.
The wide-bodied aircraft will include six fully-private first class suites with a separate armchair and bed (top left).
The Qantas A350s will also incorporate so-called Wellness Zones (top right) that allow passengers in all cabin classes to stand and stretch on the marathon flights.
Qantas has also ordered 20 Airbus A321XLRs and 20 A220-300s as part of its domestic fleet modernisation program Project Winton.
Related: Game Changer – Qantas Launches Non-Stop Flights To London
The aircraft, due be delivered from last 2023, will gradually replace its fleet of Boeing 737s and 717s.
It also has purchase rights for 106 more airplanes spread among the different types.
All up, this is the largest aircraft order in Australian aviation history.
The Kangaroo Route
Qantas launched the so-called Kangaroo Route between Australia and the UK in 1947 with Lockheed Constellations. It took several stops and 58 hours of flying. In 2018 Qantas started non-stop flights from Perth, in Western Australia, to London that take 17 hours to carry passengers 14,500km or 9,000 miles. By 2025, the A350 will fly non-stop from Sydney to London in 20 hours.
© 2022 BERNARD O’RIORDAN (TRAVEL INSTINCT). ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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