Qantas ordered Airbus for world’s longest direct flights from Australia

As pandemic limitations in the region are eased and international travel resumes. Australian airline Qantas Airways, run by Irishman Alan Joyce, has purchased a dozen aircraft. These aircraft will provide customers with some of the world’s longest passenger flights from Sydney to London and New York by 2025.

After purchasing 12 Airbus A350-1000 planes from the European aircraft manufacturer, Qantas will be able to operate non-stop flights between Australia and Europe and the United States, marking the airline’s largest order in history when paired with an update of its domestic fleet.

The revamp, dubbed Project Sunrise, is projected to cost between A$3 billion and A$3.5 billion (US$2 billion and US$2.5 billion) and reflects fresh optimism that tourist and business travel will recover following Australia’s reopening of its borders to international visitors in February.

New Zealand, which has taken a tougher stance on the pandemic, has opened its borders to most visitors and business travellers this week, prompting Wellington to put the country “back on the map.”

According to the company, Qantas was just weeks away from declaring bankruptcy in 2020, and had to resort to selling pyjamas to make ends meet while its flights were grounded.

The 101-year-old airline said the pandemic had caused a year’s delay in Project Sunrise, but that demand for non-stop flights had been demonstrated by the success of its Perth-to-London direct service, which it began in 2018.

The new planes will allow the airline to perform similar services with flights lasting more than 19 hours from its two primary hubs of Sydney and Melbourne. According to the business, the wide-bodied jets would be 25% more fuel efficient than older long-haul planes.

“It’s the last frontier and the final fix for the tyranny of distance that has traditionally challenged travel to Australia,” said Mr Joyce.

Mr Joyce stated that the initial Project Sunrise flights would be to New York and London, but that the Airbus purchase may allow for direct flights to other cities such as Paris and Frankfurt.

For the new services, the airline has prioritised its premium sector, with 40% of the cabin devoted to higher-spending passengers.

The planes would carry fewer passengers than existing long-haul flights out of Australia, and they will have extra legroom and a “wellbeing zone” where passengers can stretch their legs during long trips.

In 2018, Qantas launched Project Sunrise, indicating that the aircraft might have gyms, bunk beds for children, and workstations.

The drive to offer nonstop flights out of Australia comes after a difficult period for the airline sector during the Easter vacation, when understaffed airports caused consumers to queue for hours to pass through security.

Mr Joyce was heavily chastised for blaming passengers for the chaos, claiming that they were not “match fit” and had neglected to remove laptops and aerosol sprays before passing through security.

Following the Project Sunrise announcement, Qantas shares rose 4% to a six-month high. The airline also issued a strong trading statement, revealing higher-than-expected earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation for the second half of the year of A$450 million-A$550 million and lower-than-expected net debt of A$4.5 billion.

Qantas has demonstrated that domestic flights had rebounded, according to Matt Ryan of Australian investment bank Barrenjoey, boosting confidence in the airline’s growth prospects. He stated, “Demand is strong across the board.”

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