Qantas Says A350-1000ULR Launch Delayed

Qantas is again delaying its Project Sunrise program launch after the flag carrier revealed fresh updates.

According to the latest forecasting, Qantas expects production to begin on its first A350-1000ULR for Project Sunrise flights in September 2025.

This will represent the first of twelve A350-1000ULRs ordered specifically for the Project Sunrise initiative. They should not be mistaken for the A350-1000s ordered to replace the A380s from the early 2030s.

Qantas expects to take delivery of its first A350-1000ULR in late 2026, provided no further delays occur.

However, even though delivery will be in late 2026, the airline cannot debut the aircraft on Project Sunrise flights until early 2027 due to crew training.

When a new aircraft enters an airline’s operation, it conducts crew familiarisation flights, typically across shorter distances, for a period that allows employees to understand the new aircraft they’ll be working on.

Arguably, for Qantas, the crew’s need to familiarise themselves with the A350-1000ULR will never be more important, as this plane will fly 20 hours or more across the international network to markets such as New York and London without a single stop.

Qantas confirmed to the Executive Traveller that the plane would debut initially on shorter international routes such as to New Zealand. The multi-hour international flight will enable the crew to experience a taster of what the ultra-long-haul flights will eventually look like.

Therefore, once familiarisation flights occur and more planes are delivered, the airline will expand its Project Sunrise operation to include more frequent flights to premium destinations.

Qantas Used To Project Sunrise Delays

The latest confirmation that Project Sunrise will be delayed until early 2027 once familiarisation occurs does not represent the first time a delay has occurred.

At the beginning of 2024, Qantas also confirmed that the launch of Project Sunrise would be pushed back until the middle of 2026. At the time, this represented a six-month delay.

Previously, Qantas expected to begin operations with the A350-1000ULR by the end of 2025, which is this year. However, the carrier has cited manufacturing delays as a cause for the pushback.

The A350ULR hasn’t been the only delay for the Australian flag carrier, with previously announced delays in acquiring the next-generation A321XLR.

While Airbus has not experienced the same fate as Boeing concerning production woes and delivery delays, this doesn’t mean some airlines haven’t experienced challenges in acquiring next-gen planes from the European planemaker on time.

What Is Project Sunrise?

Project Sunrise is an initiative outlined by Qantas that aims to establish non-stop flights between Australia’s east coast cities, alongside others such as Perth, to vital international destinations, particularly London and New York.

Once airborne, the aim is to shatter the boundaries dictated by Australia’s geographical positioning. Through further aircraft deliveries, South American and African cities will also be targeted with the capabilities of the Airbus A350s.

The hope is to regain market share across international locations that were not previously within reach or in a profitable scenario.

Additionally, Qantas wants to better compete with established global airlines. Many international carriers have expanded heavily into Australia; now, the airline has faced competition. As a result, it needs to develop, and the A350ULRs are seen as the answer.

Qantas says Project Sunrise will also help address passenger demand and an appetite for longer-range travel, which will eliminate stopovers.

As a result, the service should offer customers a much quicker and hassle-free journey to their destination on the other side of the world. A launch is expected sometime in early 2027, but given how often the goalposts have moved, this could adjust again.