Australia’s flag carrier Qantas had a very strong start to 2026 and is looking forward to an exciting second half of the year with the upcoming delivery of its first specially configured Project Sunrise Airbus A350-1000ULR. Inflight Editor Satu Dahl reports.
While Qantas is fast approaching the delivery of its first shiny Project Sunrise A350-1000ULR, the carrier has also had other exciting recent fleet news to share, as well as details about its cabin upgrades such as the new Qantas Plus Economy offering.
Inflight Editor Satu Dahl spoke with the airline’s spokesperson, who highlighted that Qantas introduced the Airbus A321XLR to its fleet in September 2025, bringing a more comfortable and fuel-efficient aircraft to some of its busiest domestic routes to Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane, with its first international service set to launch on the Brisbane-Manila route from October this year.
“Customers are responding positively to the newest aircraft, that features a wider and longer cabin than previous-generation narrowbody aircraft, wider seats, higher ceilings, larger windows, a quieter cabin, fast and free Wi-Fi, and space for around 60% more bags than Qantas’s Boeing 737s,” the Qantas spokesperson explained.
The Qantas A321XLR and A220 aircraft are delivered with extra legroom already fitted. To enhance its Economy Class experience on board other aircraft, Qantas started offering a new Economy Plus cabin product from February on certain flights.
Cabins are optimised for rest and relaxation. Images: Qantas
The spokesperson shared details about this refurbishment project and what it entailed, telling Inflight: “Qantas Economy Plus is a new seating option within the Economy cabin, designed to give customers more choice and comfort when flying. The product offers up to 40% more legroom, along with priority boarding and priority access to overhead baggage space.”
Qantas’s 737 aircraft were reconfigured by removing a row of seats in the Economy cabin.
The airline continues to see strong demand for point-to-point travel and its non-stop Perth to London, Paris and Rome flights especially continue to perform very well and the spokesperson noted that these have some of the highest customer satisfaction scores across the group.
IN IT FOR THE ULTRA-LONG-HAUL
Waking and sleeping modes are equally well catered for. Image: Qantas
There are also plans to refurbish the carrier’s A330 aircraft. The upgrade will include 4K OLED 13.3-inch touchscreens (around 20% larger than current), plus USB C fast charging and Bluetooth audio in Economy.
The spokesperson said: “Qantas is investing in next generation cabin upgrades across 10 Airbus A330 200 aircraft as part of a major refurbishment programme. The upgrades focus on the Economy cabin, including brand new Economy seats designed to maximise comfort, with features that will also appear on Project Sunrise aircraft.”
The first Project Sunrise Airbus A350-1000ULR has already rolled out of the Airbus hangar in Toulouse, fitted with Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, and is ready to begin a two-month flight testing programme in the coming weeks.
“The second Qantas Project Sunrise A350-1000ULR, which entered production in February, continues to be on the final assembly line,” the spokesperson added.
The first of 12 Project Sunrise A350-1000ULR aircraft is scheduled for delivery in late 2026, with the first commercial Project Sunrise services commencing in the first half of 2027.
From 2027, Qantas’s Project Sunrise will operate the world’s longest non-stop commercial flights using specialised Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft. Image: Qantas
These direct flights from Sydney to London and New York will fly passengers non-stop to their destinations in less than a day, setting new standards for ultra-long flights.
The airline says that as the world’s longest commercial flights they will cut up to four hours off the total travel time when compared with the one-stop services offered today.
Qantas is working with a range of aircraft suppliers on the Project Sunrise cabin product, with the long duration of the flights being a key consideration in the cabin design process.
The spokesperson said: “Designed with ultra-long-haul travel in mind, the Project Sunrise cabins are the first to be developed from the ground up by a mix of aviation specialists, as well as Australian industrial design studio Caon Design, and a multidisciplinary team of scientists from the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre including sleep scientists.
“Qantas will be the first airline in the world to offer a purpose-built Wellbeing Zone located between the Premium Economy and Economy cabins featuring sculpted wall panels and integrated stretch handles, guided on-screen exercise programme, a hydration station and a range of refreshments.
A Wellbeing Zone for passengers will feature guided on-screen exercise programmes. Image: Qantas
“Key considerations include minimising jet lag, supporting healthy movement during flight, and a spacious environment across all cabins, with particular attention paid to how customers experience long periods onboard. Every part of the aircraft has been considered, not just the premium cabins.”
Qantas worked with Diehl Aviation to create the impressive Wellbeing Zone, and it was no surprise that the groundbreaking innovation scooped the Passenger Comfort award at the 2024 Crystal Cabin Awards.
GOING THE DISTANCE WITH SMART SEATING
The Business Class and First Class seating on board the Project Sunrise aircraft will be provided by Safran Seats following a collaboration between Qantas and the seating company.
According to Safran Seats, it developed the new First and Business Class seats together with Caon Studios with specific requirements to suit the needs of passengers on the ultra-long-haul flights, adding that both of these premium suites will offer a high level of comfort thanks to a generous, ergonomically designed living space.
Qantas’s Project Sunrise A350-1000ULR in production. Image: Qantas
Named Unity, the seating solution provides a wide seat and a parallel, rectangular bed to ensure utmost comfort on the longest travel routes.
Several stowage options for personal items such as the console “cubby” stowage, under ottoman bag stowage, a large literature pocket and a closed accessory case are provided. There is also lots of surface space in the form of a large console and large single piece dining table.
Safran Seats will supply 52 Business Class suites with a door for each aircraft and six bespoke First Class suites, which include features such as a fixed bed with an adjustable backrest and a separate seat, multiple stowage areas, a wardrobe, vanity cupboard and a pyjama drawer.
For Economy Class, RECARO Aircraft Seating announced in 2023 that the company was chosen to equip the Qantas Project Sunrise A350 economy cabins with the company’s R3 seat (formerly the CL3810), revealing that a total of 140 seats were going to be installed on each of the 12 A350-1000 aircraft.
RECARO Aircraft Seating collaborated with the airline to introduce features that enhance passenger convenience and comfort. The lightweight R3 seat has a six-way adjustable headrest, extra knee space, 33-inch pitch with a generous 6-inch recline and custom-shaped cushions. An articulating seat pan offers extra comfort when reclining.
Business and First Class Seating on board the Project Sunrise aircraft will be provided by Safran Seats following a collaboration with Qantas. Image: Qantas
Dr Mark Hiller, CEO of RECARO Aircraft Seating and RECARO Holding, said at the time of the announcement: “Our partnership with Qantas has grown and evolved over almost 20 years. However, one thing hasn’t changed – the united commitment to push the boundary of travel innovation.”
The R3 seat from RECARO Aircraft Seating has been chosen for Economy class. Image: Qantas
ALL-EMBRACING ENTERTAINMENT
When it comes to in-flight entertainment systems on board the Project Sunrise flights, the cabins will feature Panasonic Avionics’ Astrova IFE system with 4K OLED screens with infinite contrast ratio, high fidelity multi-channel spatial audio technology, Bluetooth connectivity and up to 100 watts of mobile device and laptop fast-charging via USB-C throughout all phases of flight.
Andy Masson, Senior Vice President of Product and Strategy at Panasonic Avionics, highlighted the importance of the long-standing partnership between the company and Qantas.
He said: “For decades, Qantas and Panasonic Avionics have joined forces to launch game-changing IFE solutions. We immediately understood that these ultra-long-haul routes would bring with them a new set of passenger needs and expectations.
“Working closely with Qantas, our joint mission was to design a system that delivered all the creature comforts of home – everything from cinema-grade picture quality to high fidelity audio, and enough power to fast-charge all passenger devices.”
Masson added that Panasonic Avionics is extremely excited to offer this engaging, innovative and compelling solution, which supports long-haul and ultra-long-haul flights.
“Our mission is to deliver the right airline product and passenger experience that includes those memorable moments that help drive net promoter score and brand loyalty. All this and more from a solution that is designed to be lightweight to reduce fuel burn, and yet still evolve and keep pace with technology on the ground.”
This article was published in the May/June 2026 edition of Inflight. To read more articles like this, apply for your complimentary subscription today.
