Qantas announces 18-hour direct flights from Sydney to New York
Qantas says travellers will be able to fly directly between Sydney and New York in 18 hours from mid-2028. The route is part of the airline’s Project Sunrise expansion and will follow the planned launch of direct Sydney-to-London flights in October 2027.
Qantas has announced plans to launch direct flights between Sydney and New York from mid-2028, with a journey time of 18 hours.
The airline says the route will cut at least three hours from the travel time. It will be the second ultra-long-haul route under Qantas’s Project Sunrise plans.
Direct Sydney-to-London flights are scheduled to begin in October 2027.
THE QUESTIONS THIS EVENT LEAVES BEHIND
What conditions could affect the planned launch in 2028?
How might an 18-hour direct flight change demand for connecting services?
What operational requirements would the route impose on passengers and crew?
Who is most likely to benefit from the shorter travel time?
What assumptions underpin Qantas’s Project Sunrise expansion plans?
YOUR QUESTION
Does this story leave you with another question?
Send us the question the report did not answer. It may become the next question IAQ investigates.
GLOBAL CURIOSITY MAP · AUGUST 2026