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  "path": "/2026/04/14/worlds-longest-direct-flight-takes-22-hours-almost-ready-launch-27972092/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-14T15:23:19.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Lifestyle",
    "Travel",
    "Australia",
    "Flights",
    "London",
    "New York",
    "Sydney",
    "Travel News",
    "direct flight",
    "route",
    "flying across the world",
    "London Heathrow",
    "Bag thief didn't realise he took £2,000,000 Faberge egg and swapped it for drugs",
    "We find out how children got hold of knives in London - and it's not from the dark web",
    "Warning over 'dodgy' online e-bike batteries after fires surge",
    "London news hub",
    "Singapore",
    "Dubai",
    "Abu Dhabi",
    "British Airways",
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  ],
  "textContent": "Project Sunrise is due to launch next year (Picture: Hervé Goussé – Master Films)\n\nThe world’s longest direct flight is one step closer to taking off.\n\nQantas, Australia’s flag carrier, has shared a first look at Project Sunrise, designed to take passengers from London to Sydney in just 22 hours.\n\nThe route is expected to launch in 2027, complete with game-changing features that will revolutionise long-haul travel.\n\nAnd now, as Qantas prepares for test flights, the airline has confirmed that everything is going to plan.\n\nWith the first plane reportedly at the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France, Qantas said: ‘All major structural components [are] now fitted including the fuselage, wings, tail, landing gear and engines.’\n\n‘From next year, these aircraft will carry our customers non-stop from Sydney to London and New York for the first time ever – reducing flying time by up to four hours.’\n\nSo, alongside flying across the world in record time, what else can we expect?\n\nCould you hack a 22-hour flight? (Picture: Qantas)\n\n## Project Sunrise explained\n\nIn 2017, Qantas announced plans to ‘take on the final frontier of aviation’: direct flights from Australia’s east coast to London Heathrow and New York.\n\nThe airline then ordered 12 Airbus A350-1000ULR in May 2022. The aircraft are designed around endurance rather than volume.\n\nPassengers will fly in comfort, choosing between Premium Economy and Economy seats, and ultra-luxurious Business Class and First Class suites.\n\nThe wellbeing zone is designed to break up the journey (Picture: Qantas)\n\n##  Latest London news\n\n  * Bag thief didn't realise he took £2,000,000 Faberge egg and swapped it for drugs\n  * We find out how children got hold of knives in London - and it's not from the dark web\n  * Warning over 'dodgy' online e-bike batteries after fires surge\n\n\n\n_**To get the latest news from the capital, visit Metro's**  London news hub._\n\nIn addition, travellers have access to a Wellbeing Zone. Available to all passengers, Qantas describe it as a ‘dedicated space for movement with guided wellbeing content and a selection of healthy refreshments.’\n\nAnd while the direct flight shaves a decent chunk off the journey, nothing can stop jet lag. Currently, London to Sydney routes, which include at least one stopover in Singapore, Dubai, or Abu Dhabi, take up to 27 hours. Plus, Sydney is 10 hours ahead of UK time, operating on Australian Eastern Standard Time.\n\nThat being said, Qantas’s project does aim to _reduce_ jet lag with 12 lighting scenes, including ‘sunrise’ and ‘sunset’.\n\nEach scene will automatically play at specific times to help passengers sync their circadian rhythm with their destination’s time zone.\n\nThe first class suites scream luxury (Picture: Qantas)\n\n## When will Project Sunrise launch, and how much will it cost?\n\nQantas has stated that the first aircraft will be delivered at the end of the 2026 calendar year, while the first commercial flights are scheduled to begin in the first half of 2027.\n\nLast year, Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson predicted that Project Sunrise fares would be around 20% higher than existing flights between London and Sydney, which refuel along the way.\n\nFor context, British Airways economy flights from London Heathrow –which include a one-hour 40-minute layover in Singapore – range between £721 and £1,278.\n\n## Will there be other Project Sunrise routes?\n\nThe London Heathrow flight is expected to be the first Project Sunrise flight to take off. However, as mentioned, it’s not the Airbus A350’s only route.\n\nQantas will also be flying between the East Coast of Australia and New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport. The direct flight is also expected to take 22 hours.\n\n##  The world's longest direct flight, as it stands\n\nCurrently, the longest direct route in existence is the Singapore Airlines 18.5-hour flight from Singapore to New York.\n\nThe journey covers approximately 9,537 miles (a little less than Project Sunrise’s 10,573-mile trip), with economy fares costing around £686.\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "World’s longest direct flight that takes 22 hours is almost ready for launch"
}