Qantas Just Gave Its Oldest Flight Number a Brand-New Job

Qantas has confirmed that QF1 and QF2, the flight numbers most closely tied to its history, will be attached to its planned non-stop service between Sydney and London. The outbound flight from Sydney will carry QF1 and the return from London Heathrow will be QF2. The service is the centerpiece of Project Sunrise, the airline’s long-running ultra-long-haul program, and is scheduled to begin in October 2027. It would be the first time the so-called Kangaroo Route links the two cities without a stop.

The symbolism is deliberate. When the route began in 1947, the journey took four days and involved seven stops. Over the decades it has been flown by Lockheed Constellations, Boeing 747s and Airbus A380s. Today QF1 still exists, but it is a one-stop A380 service via Singapore. Moving the number to the non-stop flight signals that Qantas sees this as the new flagship rather than a niche experiment, even though the existing one-stop options will remain the choice for many travelers.

The flight will cover about 16,000 kilometers and take roughly 22 hours, making it one of the longest scheduled passenger flights ever attempted. It will use a specially adapted Airbus A350-1000, fitted with an additional center fuel tank of around 20,000 liters. Qantas approved the purchase of 12 of these A350ULR jets in 2022 after weighing them against Boeing’s 777-9. The first aircraft has been built and is in flight testing ahead of delivery and final preparation for the October 2027 launch.

What travelers do not yet have is the practical detail. The announcement did not include an exact start date within October, a timetable or fares, so anyone hoping to be on an early departure will need to watch Qantas’s booking channels. The name Project Sunrise comes from the fact that passengers will see the sun rise twice during the trip. Whether that sounds thrilling or exhausting may decide whether the non-stop or a break in Singapore or Perth is the better fit for your next trip to Britain.

Sources: Paddle Your Own Kanoo, Travel Monitor