On May 6, 2021, Qantas Airways announced that Sydney will be the launch city of "Project Sunrise", which will start operating ultra-long non-stop direct flights to London and New York. However, the launch of the project will have to be postponed until travel restrictions are removed and international travel is resumed.
"Aviation has been the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, and Qantas has lost more than $ 11 billion in revenue due to nationally and internationally established travel restrictions.", said Alan Joyce, CEO of the Qantas group. "Under these conditions, we had to seriously analyze every part of the business and therefore, the review of the company's activity became a major part of the recovery program."
"Qantas Sunrise" will debut in Sydney.
Qantas opted for the Airbus A350-1000 aircraft and planned to officially open new routes in the first quarter of 2023. Paris, Frankfurt, Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town are also on the list of "Project Sunrise" destinations. Qantas has announced that it wants to launch the Sunrise Project in early 2024.
Qantas has suspended the Sunrise Project in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, just a few weeks before placing the initial order for the Airbus A350-1000. But Qantas did not give up on that plan, and the aircraft would be used for flights between Sydney and London or New York. Before the virus froze the global airline industry, Qantas Airways conducted three test flights during which the airline tested the pilot's performance, as well as the comfort and welfare aspects of passengers aboard an ultra-long flight.
However, the Australian airline has not specified the exact date when the project is temporarily suspended.
Qantas Airways was considering ordering 12 Airbus A350 aircraft, valued at $ 317.4 million / unit, at list price, and in March 2020, it even reached an agreement with the Australian and International Pilots Association on a new payment method. for ultra-long operations. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, and the airline's spending had to be limited.
In April 2021, Alan Joyce suggested that a project could be resumed in 2021, given the high demand for direct non-stop flights connecting Sydney with London and New York in 2024.