Qantas releases first images of jet that will fly nonstop from Sydney to London and New York

Just 80 years ago, traveling to Sydney or Melbourne from London or New York took more than a week.

Now, a passenger aircraft that can complete make the journey without stopping is in the final stages of construction, Qantas announced on Friday, releasing first images of the plane as it is assembled.

With adaptations like a 20,000-liter rear center fuel tank, the Airbus A350-1000ULR will be able to fly for up to 22 hours straight. Qantas has labeled its plan for ultra-long-range services “Project Sunrise,” because the flights take so long they can encounter two separate dawns.

When commercial flights are scheduled to start in the first half of 2027, they will shave up to four hours off the time it currently takes to reach Australia’s east coast from London or New York.

Although Boeing’s 787-9 Dreamliner can fly 17 hours nonstop to Perth, on Australia’s west coast, reaching the other side of the country has proven to be “aviation’s final frontier,” as Qantas dubbed it in an Instagram post Friday.