Qantas’ Project Sunrise Flights to New York Confirmed for 2028

Updated: September 23, 2026, 9:33am CDT

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Qantas Will Fly Nonstop From New York to Sydney in 2028
How Much Will a Nonstop Flight From New York to Sydney Cost?
Final Thoughts

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Start the clocks: Qantas has confirmed that its first-ever nonstop flight between Sydney (SYD) and New York (JFK) will take place in 2028.

The ultra-long-haul flight is part of the airline’s Project Sunrise, which officially launches next year with the Sydney-to-London route.

“From 2028, our customers will be able to board in Sydney and arrive in New York around 18 hours later without stopping once, cutting around three hours off the current fastest travel time,” said Vanessa Hudson, Qantas CEO.

Here’s everything we know so far.

Qantas Will Fly Nonstop From New York to Sydney in 2028

After years in the making, the start of Qantas’ Project Sunrise flights was confirmed earlier in the year, with London (LHR) revealed as the first destination starting in October 2027. These flights will be the longest in the world.

New York, Qantas‘ second Project Sunrise city, will welcome the first custom-designed Airbus A350-1000ULR (ultra-long-range) in summer 2028. The exact date is yet to be confirmed.

The mammoth 9,942-mile (16,000-kilometer) flight will replace the need for passengers to connect and reduce the total journey time between the 2 cities by around 3 hours.

Project Sunrise won’t be Qantas’ only nonstop flight from JFK, as it already operates a fifth-freedom route from Auckland to New York, an 8,823-mile (14,200-kilometer) journey that takes around 15.5 hours.

How Much Will a Nonstop Flight From New York to Sydney Cost?

Tickets for the nonstop New York to Sydney route will go on sale in August 2027. As for pricing, exact figures are yet to be revealed.

However, Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace has previously said that fares on the Sydney to London route are expected to be around 20% higher than 1-stop options. With that in mind, we could expect the same for fares on the New York to Sydney route.

Given that current economy fares on the route are around $1,600, round-trip fares on Project Sunrise flights to New York could get close to $2,000.

New York to Sydney with Qantas via AKL economy fares — Qantas’ current cash economy fares from New York to Sydney via Auckland. Screenshot: Google Flights website

As for reward pricing, Qantas’ current long-haul redemptions for one-way Classic Rewards are as follows:

Economy: 58,900
Premium economy: 113,900
Business class: 151,800
First class: 227,800

While we hope Project Sunrise pricing fits into these brackets, a new ultra-long-haul category could be added to account for the extra distance.

Final Thoughts

Qantas’ nonstop flights between New York and Sydney will be a welcome option for travelers who want to fly between the 2 cities as quickly as possible, doing so without a stopover. We’ll keep a close eye on the project and be back with any developments as soon as we have them.