Qantas unveils its plan for ‘passenger comfort’ on ultra long nonstop flights

Australia’s largest airline unveils its plan for ‘passenger comfort’ on ultra-long haul flights to some of the world’s biggest cities.

Qantas’s much anticipated Project Sunrise flights will make ultra long-haul flights such as non stop from Sydney to London a reality. Picture: Supplied.

Qantas is promising more leg room for economy passengers, an exercise area and a wardrobe in first class suites when it starts flying nonstop from Sydney to London and New York in late 2025.

The airline unveiled its cabin plan with a total of 238 seats for the A350-1000 aircraft it will use on the routes.

The seat count is the lowest of any airline operating that aircraft, in an effort to increase comfort levels on flights of more than 19 or 20 hours duration.

Qatar Airways seats 327 passengers in its A350-1000s and Cathay Pacific 334.

The 140 economy seats will have a seat pitch of 33 inches, two inches more than the Boeing 787-9s Qantas uses on Perth-London flights.

Six private first class suites will have their own wardrobe and bed, and a “wellness zone” will allow passengers to stretch and exercise during the long trips.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce announced an order for 12 of the A350-1000s with the first two to fly daily from Sydney to London and New York.

Services out of Melbourne were also planned and Brisbane could also see the A350-1000s.

“As we activate all 12 we are also looking at destinations like Paris and Chicago,” said Mr Joyce.

“We would love to be able to go to Rio, so many destinations Qantas can fly to direct with these aircraft that it couldn’t fly to before.”

First look at a Qantas A350-1000, after the demonstration flight arrived at Sydney Airport pic.twitter.com/qerly6QduM

— Robyn Ironside (@ironsider) May 1, 2022

Although a premium price would apply for passengers in the front of the plane, Mr Joyce said economy fares would be similar to those currently charged for flights to London and New York.

He suggested the services would give frequent flyers an opportunity to use points amassed over the last couple of years.

“Lots of Australians are part of our frequent flyer program and we see a lot of redemptions in those premium cabins,” Mr Joyce said.

“We know a lot of Australians during Covid saved their points for opportunities like this.”

It was unlikely he would be CEO by the time the first Project Sunrise flights took off in late 2025 however.

“I’ve always said I’ve committed to being here till the end of 2023, until the (Covid) recovery program is underway,” he said.

“A lot depends on what happens with the recovery of Qantas … I’ve said I won’t leave until that happens.”

An Airbus A350-1000 flight test aircraft flies over Sydney Harbour on Monday.

A third quarter update delivered on Monday showed the recovery was well underway, putting Qantas in a position to lodge the mega order with Airbus.

In addition to the double aisle A350-1000s, Qantas has ordered 40 single aisle aircraft made up of A320neos and A220s with the option of a further 94.

The narrow body jets will replace ageing Boeing 737-800s and 717s in the Qantas domestic fleet over the next 10 years.

Mr Joyce said the order demonstrated the strength of Qantas’s financial position after a massive surge in air travel.

“We’ve seen a huge increase in demand; the business market is just back to where it was before Covid, the small business market Is ahead of where it was, the leisure market booming domestically and internationally and we’ve seen our debt levels get back to the levels we had pre Covid, actually below them so that means we have a strong balance sheet,” he said.

“We are one of the few investment grade airlines in the world; we are one of the few airlines in the world that could make a decision like this and we thought the time was absolutely right.”

Airbus chief commercial officer Christian Scherer was thrilled to have Qantas’s order after the airline challenged manufacturers in a “tweet” to create an aircraft capable of the Project Sunrise flights.

Fuel efficiency was also critical and the A350-1000 was able to operate with up to 50 per cent sustainable aviation fuel.

Mr Scherer said there was no other aircraft more environmentally friendly than the A350-1000 and that was unlikely to change for many years.

“This airplane is establishing itself as the reference in the high capacity long range market compared to other airplanes that are derivative of older aircraft,” said Mr Scherer. “This aircraft is here to stay and won’t be superseded anytime soon in terms of fuel efficiency.”