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ALAN JOYCE: Qantas to make a call on Project Sunrise by the end of this year

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has confirmed that the Flying Roo will "make a call" on their plans to launch nonstop flights from Australia’s east coast to London and New York by the end of the year.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has confirmed that the Flying Roo will “make a call” on their plans to launch nonstop flights from Australia’s east coast to London and New York by the end of the year.

The detailed research Qantas has been undertaking (referred to as Project Sunrise) is dedicated to selecting the best ultra-long-haul aircraft to fly the 20 plus hour routes.

At present, the carrier is looking into the capabilities of the Airbus A350 and the Boeing 777-X.

Speaking at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation & Corporate Travel Summit yesterday, Alan Joyce shared his excitement about how Project Sunrise was unfolding.

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“We are still making huge progress on all aspects of that project,” he said.

“And as I have said before, our intention is to make a call on it, if the business case works, by the end of this year.”

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce

Choosing the right aircraft isn’t the only hurdle Qantas has to overcome in making their ambitious plans a reality.

Qantas pilots and crew will also have to agree to the longer working hours that the ultra-long flights will entail.

They also need to make sure passengers health and wellbeing are taken care of on the unprecedented route.

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Regardless of which aircraft Qantas goes with, the carrier said it is planning to make it a four-class flight with Economy, Premium Economy, Business Class and First Class.

At one stage Qantas spoke about plans for underfloor sleeping berths or meeting rooms but they’re now leaning towards simply including an area for Economy and Premium Economy passengers to stretch, exercise and hydrate.