Qantas has announced it will launch non-stop services between Sydney and New York from mid-2028, shaving more than three hours off the current fastest travel time between the two cities.

Part of the airline’s Project Sunrise expansion, the flights will be operated by specially configured Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft.

The planes are fitted with an extra 20,000-litre fuel tank, enabling them to fly more than 16,000 kilometres and up to 22 hours non-stop.

“New York has always captured the imagination, and for generations, reaching it from Australia has meant breaking up the journey somewhere along the way,” said Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson.

“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. That changes what’s possible for travel between our two countries.”

Tickets for the inaugural Sydney to New York flights will go on sale from August next year, but prices have not yet been released.

New York is the second Project Sunrise route to be confirmed, with Sydney to London non-stop flights scheduled to begin in October 2027.

Qantas will take delivery of 12 Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft in total, each configured with 238 seats across four cabins.

Cabins have been designed for long-haul comfort. Image: Stuart Bailey Photography

Hudson hailed the latest route announcement as a “defining moment”, saying the airline has always been committed to “conquering the tyranny of distance”.

To make the ultra-long-haul flight more comfortable, the new planes have been designed with special features such as a “wellbeing zone” to help keep jetlag at bay.

Tens of thousands of people recently watched online as the first Project Sunrise aircraft completed a record-breaking non-stop 24-hour and 24-minute flight from Melbourne to Toulouse.