A few short years ago, Project Sunrise – Qantas' plan to fly non-stop from the east coast to London and New York – was a mere gleam in Alan Joyce's eye. Now, however, as the first A350-1000ULR gets ready to have its engines fitted, those marathon flights are looking closer than ever.
While there's still a lot of work to be done, including extensive test flights, before the plane can be delivered in 2026 ahead of Project Sunrise's planned 2027 launch, there's now something undeniably concrete about the Flying Kangaroo's ultra-long-haul ambitions – but will they succeed?
On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and Bethany discuss the milestone and what it might be like to spend upwards of 22 straight hours in the sky.
Plus, Avalon Airport is set to return to international flights – is Melbourne's second gateway finally seeing some love?