Qantas delays Project Sunrise to April 2027

Qantas said on May 25 that its long-delayed Project Sunrise program will now begin in April 2027 after Airbus pushed back delivery of the first specially configured A350-1000ULR. The Australian airline had most recently said the first aircraft would arrive at the end of calendar 2026, with the first commercial services due in the first half of 2027. Airbus attributed the latest delay to supply-chain issues affecting the aircraft built for Qantas, according to reports published Monday. The change pushes back Qantas’ plan to start nonstop flights from Sydney to London and Sydney to New York, routes the airline has spent years marketing as the centerpiece of its next long-haul phase. ### Which aircraft is holding up the launch? The aircraft at the center of the delay is the Airbus A350-1000ULR, a version tailored for ultra-long-range flying and ordered by Qantas for Project Sunrise. Qantas says it has 12 of the aircraft on order for the program, which is designed to connect Australia directly with cities including London and New York. Airbus announced the broader Qantas A350 order in 2022 and said at the time the jets would enable some of the world’s longest commercial flights. (qantas.com) Qantas had already been working to a revised timetable before Monday’s setback. A Qantas project update published in November 2025 said the first of the 12 aircraft was scheduled for delivery in late 2026 and that commercial Project Sunrise services would begin in the first half of 2027. (qantas.com) ### Why did Airbus move the delivery date again? Airbus said the first A350-1000ULR for Qantas will now join the fleet in April 2027, with later deliveries to follow, according to reports citing the manufacturer’s statement. The Age and other outlets said Airbus linked the delay to supply-chain issues affecting the specially configured aircraft. Bloomberg also reported the delay as another setback for the carrier’s ultra-long-range plans. (qantas.com) The latest change follows years of timing shifts for Project Sunrise. Qantas selected the A350-1000 for the program in 2022, and subsequent company materials moved the expected start from earlier targets to late 2026 aircraft deliveries and first-half 2027 flights. ### Which routes are affected by the delay? (msn.com) Sydney-London and Sydney-New York are the headline routes tied to the launch. Qantas and Airbus have both said Project Sunrise is intended to make nonstop flying from Australia to London and New York possible for the first time on a scheduled basis. Airbus’ 2022 announcement also said the aircraft could be used on services from Sydney and Melbourne. (airbus.com) Qantas has also used the aircraft to showcase a premium-heavy cabin layout aimed at ultra-long flights. Earlier company materials said the jets would include six first-class suites, 52 business seats and a dedicated “Wellbeing Zone” between premium economy and economy. (qantas.com) ### Does this change the broader Project Sunrise plan? Qantas has not indicated that the aircraft order itself has changed. The airline’s fleet pages still describe Project Sunrise as centered on 12 A350-1000ULR aircraft, with the first delivery previously listed for the end of calendar 2026. Reports on Monday said the launch date, not the underlying program, had moved. (qantas.com) Simple Flying, citing Qantas, reported that the airline expects Airbus to recover the production pace and aims to have five A350-1000ULR aircraft in the fleet by November 2027. The same report said Qantas plans to begin the route once three aircraft have arrived in Australia and completed the checks needed for revenue service. That timeline was not independently confirmed in an official Qantas release available to Reuters-style reporting on Monday. (qantas.com) ### What happens next before passengers can book these flights? April 2027 is now the expected delivery point for the first Project Sunrise aircraft, according to Monday’s reports. Qantas’ next milestones are the arrival of that first A350-1000ULR, subsequent deliveries in 2027 and the start of nonstop Sydney-London and Sydney-New York services once enough aircraft are in service. (msn.com) (simpleflying.com)