Qantas has revealed how it plans to configure its new Airbus A350-1000 long-range aircraft which will fly non-stop from Australia to cities including London and New York from late 2025.
The airline yesterday announced a firm order for 12 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft which will be delivered between 2025 and 2028. These will be used for the airline’s long-awaited “Project Sunrise” flights.
The Airbus A350-1000 aircraft will have a maximum range of around 16,100km. Qantas says that this is enough to fly from Australia to any city in the world, opening up the possibility of new non-stop routes like Sydney-London, Melbourne-London, Sydney-Paris and Sydney-New York. That said, this range is not quite enough range to fly any city pair in the world. (Routes like Sydney-Lisbon would still be too long for the A350-1000, although this is not a route Qantas is ever likely to want to fly.)
The first A350 routes in late 2025 will be from Sydney to London and New York. Qantas’ non-stop schedules on these routes could look something like this…
Sydney to London:
- Sydney 20:00 – London Heathrow 06:00 (+1 day) – flight time approximately 20 hours
- London Heathrow 12:30 – Sydney 17:30 (+1 day) – flight time approximately 19 hours
Sydney to New York:
- Sydney 13:45 – New York 17:15 – flight time approximately 18 hours, 30 minutes
- New York 19:30 – Sydney 06:00 (+2 days) – flight time approximately 19 hours, 30 minutes
“New types of aircraft make new things possible. That’s what makes today’s announcement so significant for the national carrier and for a country like Australia where air travel is crucial,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said.
“Throughout our history, the aircraft we’ve flown have defined the era we’re in. The 707 introduced the jet age, the 747 democratised travel and the A380 brought a completely new level of comfort. The A350 and Project Sunrise will make any city just one flight away from Australia. It’s the last frontier and the final fix for the tyranny of distance. As you’d expect, the cabin is being specially designed for maximum comfort in all classes for long-haul flying.”
Qantas also announced yesterday firm orders for 20 Airbus A321XLR aircraft and 20 Airbus A220-300s.
The new Airbus A350-1000s will be configured with 238 seats across four cabin classes. Here’s what we know so far…
Qantas A350-1000 First Class
At the front of the plane, there will be just six First Class suites in a 1-1-1 configuration. Each private suite will have a sliding door and will contain a separate seat and bed – similar to the suites found on the Singapore Airlines and Etihad Airways A380s.
At roughly the width of three Economy seats, each Qantas A350-1000 suite will also be fitted with a huge 32 inch TV screen and a wardrobe.
Qantas A350-1000 Business Class
There will be 13 rows of Business suites installed on this aircraft in a 1-2-1 configuration, with 52 seats in total, offering each passenger direct aisle access.
Qantas hasn’t yet given specific details on what type of Business Class seats will be installed on the A350-1000, but AFF understands each seat will have a sliding door for maximum privacy.
If the artist’s impression provided by Qantas of the A350-1000 layout is anything to go by, these seats could be in a staggered configuration where the seat pairs in the middle section are directly beside each other (perfect for couples) in every second row. This would be similar to the current Business class configuration on aircraft such as the Emirates A380 or Malaysia Airlines A330-200.
Qantas A350-1000 Premium Economy
There will be five rows of Premium Economy in a 2-4-2 layout, giving a total of 40 seats. The Premium Economy seats will have 40 inches of seat pitch, which represents 2 inches more legroom than the current Premium Economy seats on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
Qantas A350-1000 Economy Class
Economy Class will be laid out in a 3-3-3 configuration. This is the same layout that is found on the Boeing 787-9, but as the A350 has a wider cabin, the seats will also be slightly wider.
In total there will be 140 Economy seats with 33 inches of seat pitch. This is one more inch of legroom than is currently found on the Boeing 787.
As far as Economy configurations go, this should be reasonably comfortable. That’s important for flights that could take as long as 20 hours!
There will be a “Wellbeing Zone” at the front of Economy with digital display screens and space for passengers to stretch their legs.
The aircraft will also feature a self-service snack and drink station. However, Qantas has made no mention of in-flight wifi being available.
Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Qantas Project Sunrise goes ahead, 12 new A350-1000s ordered
