Qantas has had 12 of the special A350s on order since 2022, which will be fitted with extra fuel tanks to make the 22-hour flights possible and will be configured with only 238 seats: six first class, 52 business, 40 premium economy, and 140 economy.

The design of the rear centre tank has now been approved by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), smoothing the way for the aircraft to enter production.

“We’re working very closely with Airbus, and the first aircraft is due to arrive from mid-2026. It’s passed all the certifications now, so we’re feeling very optimistic about the delivery timetable,” Hudson said.

“This is going to be a fundamental part of our network structure.”

Project Sunrise was originally slated to launch next year but was delayed to 2026 due to “manufacturing issues” at Airbus.

Qantas is likely to be the only airline in the world to operate the services, with former CEO Alan Joyce arguing Australia’s position in the world meant only it would be able to justify investing in a large fleet of ultra-long-haul aircraft. Its launch is set to be one of the most significant moments in the carrier’s history.

Cam Wallace, CEO of Qantas International, said Perth–London, Perth–Rome, and Melbourne–Dallas are among the airline’s best-performing routes, and that the carrier wants to be “famous for being the ultra-long-haul non-stop leader”.

“In terms of our city pairs we’ll be launching first it will be either Sydney–London or Sydney–New York. We think it’s complimentary to our current network and it’s critical in terms of earnings,” he said.

The Flying Kangaroo is also in the middle of a huge fleet renewal program that will transform its domestic and international aircraft.

Internationally, Qantas will receive 12 new 787 Dreamliners and 12 traditional Airbus A350s to replace the bulk of its ageing A330 fleet, alongside the separate order for Project Sunrise.

Domestically, the airline will purchase 28 Airbus A321XLRs and 29 A220-300s to fly its domestic routes, but with the option to buy many more.

Subsidiary brand Jetstar has already begun welcoming its new fleet of 38 A320neos, comprising 18 long-range A321LRs and 20 A321XLR aircraft – an even longer-range variant.

According to Hudson, this is the largest fleet renewal in Qantas history.

“The new aircraft themselves will unlock new routes, new cabin experiences, that’s a good thing for our people as well because they get growth, they get promotional opportunities,” she said.

“Growth enables us to drive efficiency in our cost base as well, and so it is going to be a focus that we have, growing profits sustainably.”