SYDNEY, June 19, 2026, 08:07 (AEST)
- Qantas shares ended Thursday at A$9.99, edging up 0.1%. The S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.62% to finish at 8,911.1.
- Qantas is set to start daily nonstop Sydney-London flights in October 2027, lining up ticket sales for February.
- Qantas says Project Sunrise may lift yearly earnings by over A$400 million and expects to charge roughly 20% more for premium seats compared to one-stop routes.
Qantas Airways shares finished flat Thursday, as the airline targeted October 2027 to start its first nonstop Sydney-London route. Investors got a distant timeline for the earnings lift, with execution risks in focus. Qantas shares inched up 0.1% to A$9.99 after rising to A$10.09 earlier. The stock outperformed the Australia benchmark, which lost 0.62%.
Qantas is counting on Project Sunrise for its long-haul future. The plan calls for a daily service that skips the usual Singapore stop, trimming as much as four hours from the trip. No other carrier runs this route direct from Australia’s east coast. The first plane in the project, called Vega, is on track to be delivered in April 2027.
Qantas’ new Airbus A350-1000ULR, fitted for ultra-long-range flights, will seat 238 passengers over four cabins and use another 20,000-litre fuel tank. CEO Vanessa Hudson said every new aircraft has cut another leg from the original Kangaroo Route. “Today, we’re taking out the last one,” she said. Qantas Newsroom
Qantas is counting on travellers paying more for direct flights than for regular one-stop tickets. Aviation analyst John Strickland said the airline is “selling time” and has to charge higher fares in all cabins, with a focus on business and premium economy. The airline is aiming for a 20% fare boost similar to what it got on Perth-London services. Gulf carriers like Emirates are likely to fight to keep their market share. Reuters
The low-density cabin ups the pressure for this aircraft. Sharon Petersen, AirlineRatings CEO, said it will have to be “a premium passenger-heavy aircraft” since weight limits keep cargo down. Singapore Airlines runs the longest regular nonstop right now on its Singapore-New York route. AP News
Qantas is set to have six of its 12 Project Sunrise jets based in Sydney. Some of the other aircraft might swap in for Boeing 787s on current long-distance routes. That move could free up 787s for new destinations. The partnership with Emirates will still give travelers a one-stop choice for those not wanting a nonstop flight up to 22 hours.
Qantas shares barely moved after the route news, signaling investors didn’t see it lifting earnings any time soon. The stock already rose almost 17% in the last four weeks, so nailing down the launch date brought less excitement than the headline milestone.
But the downside is clear. Project Sunrise has faced delays before, with the first plane now set for April 2027, pushed back from late 2026. If delivery or certification slips again, revenue gets pushed out too. Softer premium demand would also hurt, since much of the project’s return needs stronger pricing.
Australia’s share futures were down about 0.5% to 0.6% before Friday’s session, even with a bounce on Wall Street. Brent crude traded under $80 a barrel, easing the top cost for airlines. Qantas still faces a softer local market, but will need to keep its edge.
