Seven years after announcing Project Sunrise in 2017, Qantas says that the business case for ultra-long-range flights is still valid. Yes, today’s world and economics are different, but the airline reiterates the original target that a fleet of 12 Airbus A350-1000ULRs will bring $400 million in incremental EBIT.
“The business case remains resilient and a $400 million uplift in passenger and freight earnings is possible”, said Cam Wallace, CEO of Qantas International. Together with Group CEO Vanessa Hudson, he was at Airbus in Toulouse to have a look at the first A350-1000ULR in full Qantas livery. The aircraft, the second 1000ULR off the production line, was presented in front of the delivery centre, but still without its Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines
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Hudson announced that Qantas will launch ULR services from Sydney to London Heathrow in October 2027. Tickets will go on sale in February. The carrier had planned to start services in early 2027, but delivery of the first aircraft has slipped from November this year to April at the earliest. The first A350-1000ULR first flew on June 2.
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