D + D – Normal size
Qantas, an Australian airline, announced on Monday that it would launch the world’s first direct commercial aircraft connecting Sydney, London and New York by the end of 2025, with airline maker Airbus placing a multi-billion dollar order.
The company said in a statement that it would purchase 12 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft from Sydney to cities such as London and New York by the end of 2025 under Project Sunrise.
Based on the price guide for 2018, Airbus last year released pricing for its aircraft, with the A350-1000 priced at $ 366.5 million. However, this price does not reflect the actual amount paid by the airlines because negotiations allow lower prices, especially for larger orders.
Thanks to the A350 and Project Sunrise, Qontas CEO Alan Joyce said, “Every city has only one flight from Australia.”
Qantas launched long-range test flights in 2019, including a 17,750km journey of 19 hours and 19 minutes between London and Sydney. That same year, a test flight over 16,200 km between New York and Sydney lasted more than 19 hours.
Singapore Airlines currently operates the world’s longest non-stop commercial flight between Singapore and New York, which takes about 19 hours.
To date, the longest direct flight operated by Qantas connects Darwin in northern Australia with London, extending approximately 14,000 km and taking 17 hours and 55 minutes. Initially the aircraft came from Perth in the west of the country, but it was moved to Darwin due to COVID-19 related restrictions in Australia. The company has announced the resumption of flights between Perth and London this year.
“As you might expect, the aircraft is designed to ensure maximum comfort for long-haul flights,” Joyce said.
The company has announced that the new A350 aircraft will be designed to carry a total of 238 passengers and will offer first class separate bed, reclining seat and locker. The company promises that the seats in the economy class will be wider in addition to the exclusive “movement” space.
Follow the economic report through Google News
“Award-winning beer geek. Extreme coffeeaholic. Introvert. Avid travel specialist. Hipster-friendly communicator.”