Qantas to launch world’s longest flight from Sydney to London in 2025

An Australian airline may steal the title of the world’s longest flight from Singapore Airlines, which has held the record since 2021.

Singapore Airlines currently operates the longest flight in the world, which travels 15,340km from JFK to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN).

Qantas is gearing up to steal the title, with plans to launch a nonstop flight from Sydney to London in late 2025. The 20-hour flight will cover 17,020 kilometres and fly from Sydney Airport to Heathrow Airport.

The distance covered by the world’s longest flight has increased by 33 per cent since 1997 according to global travel data provider OAG. Most of these have departed from the US.

When Qantas’ new route launches, it will be just one of a few ultra-long-haul flights that do not depart from the US.

Qantas has been planning the world’s longest flight as part of an initiative called “Project Sunrise” since 2017, calling it ‘the final frontier of aviation’ on its website.

The flight will run on an Airbus A350-1000 jet, which Qantas describes as ‘the ultimate long-range aircraft’, and will reportedly carry up to 238 passengers across four travel classes. Around 40 per cent of seats will be premium class.

Qantas claims the planes will be carbon neutral and have 25 per cent less CO2 emissions per seat.

Twelve aircraft were ordered in May 2022.

Although, Singapore Airlines doesn’t hold the title for the longest non-stop commercial flight ever. This record was set by Air Tahiti Nui in March 2020 when pandemic restrictions forced the plane to bypass its usual stopover in Los Angeles and fly direct from Tahiti to Paris; a distance of 15,715 kilometres.

Other ultra-long-haul flights include Singapore to Newark (15,325 km), Perth to London (14,500 km), Melbourne to Dallas (14,471 km), and Auckland to New York (14,207 km).