After lengthy delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Qantas has “resumed” work on its Project Sunrise programme.
The airline was tight-lipped about the details, but CEO Alan Joyce remarked that demand for ultra-long-haul, point-to-point flights seemed to have surged in light of the pandemic.
“Our latest customer research shows that demand for direct long-haul flights is stronger than it was pre-COVID, so our focus on delivering non-stop services from Sydney and Melbourne to New York and London remains,” he said.
In the past, Qantas committed to the Airbus A350-1000 as their preferred aircraft for Project Sunrise. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a firm order has been repeatedly delayed, and the programme has since been suspended.
Qantas agreed to a contract with the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) in March 2020 to allow its members to fly ultra-long-haul routes.
Nevertheless, work on Project Sunrise was placed on hold after this point due to the pandemic.
Later, in January 2021, Joyce said that development on the paused programme could begin by the end of the year, implying that a finalised order for the A350-1000 could be completed at the time.
Then, in February, Joyce hinted that the stalled plans would be revived later this year to launch direct flights from London to Sydney in 2024.
At the time, Joyce also argued that Qantas, being an Australia-based carrier, is the only airline capable of making ultra-long-haul flights to and from the country profitable.
“It is a unique opportunity for Qantas because Australia’s so far away from everywhere,” said Joyce, “And we could justify a fleet size of a significant number of aircraft that makes it economic.
“We have three major cities on the east coast in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. And having flights to London, Frankfurt, Paris, New York, Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, and Cape Town from those cities creates a significant sub fleet and economics of scale that we think will work well.
“So, we’re still very keen on it. And we think that’s one of the big things that will change in the next decade and allow us to have a substantial competitive advantage that nobody else is probably going to introduce.”
Qantas said in May that Sydney would be the launch city for Project Sunrise – though it is unclear whether this implies it would be exclusive to the city or for how long.
Source: Australian Aviation
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