Updated ,first published
Qantas’ first Project Sunrise plane will be delayed until April 2027 in a setback for delivering the aircraft that are central to its long-haul strategy.
Manufacturer Airbus has confirmed that issues related to its supply chain will delay delivery of the first A350-1000ULR, built especially for Qantas, until next year. The plane had been expected to start flying for Qantas in the first half of 2027.
Qantas indicated it still expects to have five of the planes in its fleet by November next year.
“The first A350-1000ULR [ultra-long range] will now join the Qantas fleet in April 2027 (with further deliveries to follow in quick succession),” an Airbus spokesperson said. “The adjustment to the schedule is largely due to the impact of supply chain issues.”
The first plane was originally to be delivered to Qantas by the end of 2026.
The Airbus plane, designed to fly 22 hours at a stretch, will unlock new flight possibilities for Qantas in a development that is being keenly watched by the industry.
Qantas has made Project Sunrise the centrepiece of its long-haul strategy, which will unlock more direct destinations for the airline to serve. Qantas is expected to purchase a fleet of 12 A350-1000s, which will then fly from Australia’s east coast directly to New York and London.
Project Sunrise will allow passengers to bypass stopovers and save up to four hours of travel time in the process. The prospect of 22-hour flights has become more commercially attractive since the Iran conflict began this year.
Project Sunrise, first announced in 2017, had an initial goal of launching by 2022. It was delayed when COVID hit in 2020, halting the aviation sector. Since then, disruptions have filtered through the complex supply chains that aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing rely on, causing persistent late deliveries to airlines.
Qantas noted that the delay in the first plane won’t affect the delivery of successive planes.
“While the first aircraft delivery has shifted to April 2027, the next four will follow in quick succession, putting us back on our original schedule by November,” an airline spokesperson said.
“We continue to work closely with Airbus on the delivery and certification process that will enable us to begin operating these history-making ultra long-haul flights.”
The first Airbus A350-1000ULR is now in the paint shop in Toulouse, receiving its Qantas livery, Qantas and Airbus said. Test flights will commence within weeks, Qantas said.
Qantas ordered 12 A350-1000ULRs in May 2022 in a strategic development for an industry where premium products have grown in popularity and profitability.
The specially built A350 has an additional 20,000-litre rear-centre fuel tank, which gives the plane a range of nearly 18,500 kilometres, enough to travel from Sydney to London direct.
Avlaw Aviation director Mike Galvin said there were no surprises in the delay from Airbus. “All new designed aircraft take much longer to get to market than manufacturers would like,” he said.
Designing and fitting the additional fuel tanks required for the longer flight time “has presented many challenges”, said the former Qantas pilot.
“Once the first aircraft is approved and brought into service the others should follow fairly quickly,” he said.
The A350’s cabin will accommodate only 238 passengers (as opposed to 300 or more in a plane that size). The lighter configuration helps to extend the range of the plane even as it gives more space to passengers.
Project Sunrise takes its name from Qantas’ Double Sunrise flights that were conducted across the Indian Ocean during World War II on PBY Catalina seaplanes that could stay in the air for more than 30 hours, long enough for pilots to see two sunrises.
Aviation analyst Peter Harbison said that aircraft production delays were “really constraining airlines’ ability to be efficient” at present.
And that matters for Project Sunrise because fuel prices have remained elevated since the start of the Iran War in late February. Higher fuel costs will raise the cost of flying a plane for 22 hours a leg.
“I think Qantas will be redoing its sum fairly substantially with the projected cost and availability of fuel going ahead,” Harbison said.
“They will need to be factored into the equation.”
The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.
Chris Zappone is a senior reporter covering aviation and business. He is former digital foreign editor.Connect via X, Facebook or email.
