Manufacturing delays affect Airbus A350-1000 delivery for Qantas’ ultra-long-haul flights, pushing the timeline to mid-2026 from late 2025.
Qantas ordered 12 A350-1000 planes in 2022 for nonstop flights connecting Australia with New York and London, part of Project Sunrise initiated in 2017 with the route from London to Perth.
Airbus is redesigning the centre tank for ultra-long-range operations as requested by regulators, causing the delay in delivery.
Project Sunrise witnessed trial research trips in 2019 to gather data for regulatory approval on the endurance of passengers and crew during up to 22-hour flights.
Airbus was chosen over Boeing for Project Sunrise, and the revealed cabin prototypes for A350s show features like enclosed Business and First Suites for increased comfort during the extended flights.
Wi-Fi connectivity, extra legroom in economy seats, and special wellness zones onboard are aimed at enhancing passenger experience on these record-breaking ultra-long-haul flights.
The world’s current longest route from Singapore to JFK take 18 hours and 5 minutes, while JFK to Singapore takes 18 hours and 40 minutes, due to the headwind.
