# Qantas Delays A350-1000 Delivery for Project Sunrise to April 2027

_May 25 10:06_

Tags: Qantas, Project Sunrise, Europe, London, Melbourne, New York, Sydney, route network, airline, loyalty program

Qantas has pushed back the delivery of its first Airbus A350-1000 by four months to April 2027 due to fuel tank certification and supply chain issues. This delay likely pushes the debut of nonstop Project Sunrise flights from Sydney and Melbourne to New York and London into the second half of 2027

## Summary

Qantas has delayed the delivery of its first Airbus A350-1000 by approximately four months, moving the expected date to April 2027. The delay is attributed to the certification of additional fuel tanks with European regulators and standard supply chain issues. This aircraft is critical for "Project Sunrise," the airline's initiative to operate nonstop flights from Sydney and Melbourne to New York and London. These ultra-long-haul routes will exceed 10,000 miles and take over 20 hours. Qantas requires three frames to launch one route, so the delivery delay suggests the first commercial flights will now likely depart in the second half of 2027. Qantas has 24 A350-1000s on order: 12 ULR (Ultra Long Range) variants with extra fuel tanks for the Project Sunrise routes, and 12 standard long-range variants for other premium markets. The ULR variants feature a premium-heavy configuration to maximize range by reducing weight

## Why it matters

Affects 3 airline programs (JAL, Qantas, Singapore Airlines).

## Sources cited

- [One Mile at a Time](https://onemileatatime.com/news/qantas-airbus-a350-project-sunrise) — Qantas Airbus A350-1000s For Project Sunrise Flights Delayed, Again

## Related signals

- [Qantas Points Planes to Tokyo, Paris and Hobart open until 8 Nov](https://thetravelsignal.com/s/qantas-launches-tokyo-pairs-hobart-point-planes-for-2027-book-by-november-8.md)
- [Flying Blue adds Qantas Premium Economy and First awards](https://thetravelsignal.com/s/qantas-premium-economy-first-class-award-now-available-through-air-france-klms-f.md)
- [Qantas cuts domestic Classic Flight Rewards 20% to 30% to 16 Oct](https://thetravelsignal.com/s/qantas-20-to-30-off-classic-flight-reward-sale-for-travel-november-1-september-2.md)
- [Qantas and Air New Zealand drop domestic codeshares on 7 April 2027](https://thetravelsignal.com/s/qantas-air-new-zealand-end-codeshare-agreement-on-april-7-2027.md)
- [Qantas will fly Sydney to New York nonstop from mid-2028](https://thetravelsignal.com/s/qantas-9-950-mile-20-hour-sydney-to-new-york-a350-flights-launch-mid-2028.md)

Older: [Accor & Ennismore Summer Sale: Up To 35% Off Stays July – September 7](https://thetravelsignal.com/s/accor-ennismore-summer-sale-up-to-35-off-stays-july-september-7.md)
Newer: [Gulf Airline Operations Three Months Into The Iran War: Tier Extensions and Policy Updates](https://thetravelsignal.com/s/gulf-airline-operations-three-months-into-the-iran-war-tier-extensions-and-polic.md)

Canonical URL: https://thetravelsignal.com/s/qantas-delays-a350-1000-delivery-for-project-sunrise-to-april-2027