The seats passengers will use for the 20-hour flight that will become the world's longest

Independent

08-05-2025

There's long-haul – then there's flying non-stop from New York and London to Sydney, a 10,000-mile (16,000km), 20-hour journey that Qantas will offer from 2027 and is calling "the final frontier of aviation".
The Australian carrier has dubbed the new service Project Sunrise and ordered modified Airbus A350-1000 aircraft to operate it.
What's more, these planes – following extensive scientific research by Qantas into ultra-long-haul flights which included several test runs of the route – will have unique interiors with fewer seats (238 vs over 300 on a regular A350) that are designed to offer maximum comfort levels, from hotel-suite-style first-class berths to "wellness zones".
Here's a tour of the cabins that passengers will be seated in for the time-zone-touring flights…
First class
The Project Sunrise A350 will feature six first-class cabins in a 1-1-1 configuration that will be veritable airborne hotel suites, judging by the renderings.
They will offer 50 percent more space than the Qantas A380 first berths, the carrier claims, and feature a 6ft 5in flat bed (one inch longer than the A380 first-class bed), separate reclining armchair, a work and dining space for one or two people, and a full-length wardrobe.
Movies will be enjoyed on a 32-inch screen with Bluetooth connectivity and privacy is guaranteed, thanks to 4ft 6in-high walls and a sliding door.
Business class
On paper, the 1-2-1-configured business-class cabin for the epic flight approaches the luxuriousness of the Qantas A380 first-class suite, with a 25-inch-wide seat (one inch wider than the A380 business-class seat) that transforms into a 6ft 5in bed.
Privacy, meanwhile, comes courtesy of 3ft 9in-high walls and a sliding door.
Within the cocoon, passengers will watch movies and shows on an 18-inch screen (that's two inches bigger than the Qantas A380 and Dreamliner's), store belongings in an upholstered glovebox and inside a leather ottoman – and park cocktails on a shelf to the side of the seat.
Premium economy
Upgrade to premium economy for the globe-crossing flight and you'll enjoy a "generous" 40-inch seat pitch, winged headrests and a calf rest, along with a 13.3-inch entertainment screen.
On the storage front will be three pockets for personal items, while devices can be charged using USB-C ports.
Qantas says that in the brand-new premium cabin, "every detail has been carefully considered".
Economy
This is the class that could well make or break Project Sunrise, as it will be the least roomy, of course, and the one that the majority of flyers will use.
So, what's in store at the back of the plane? "A cabin with your utmost comfort in mind," claims Qantas, which points out that the seats, arranged in a 3-3-3 pattern, have a 33-inch pitch and a six-way adjustable headrest, and that the screen is the same size as the one in premium economy – 13.3 inches.
Beneath this screen is a nifty-looking folddown shelf for personal devices that passengers will surely appreciate.
The wellness zone
All passengers will be able to access an onboard "Wellbeing Zone", located between the economy and premium economy cabins.
Qantas describes it as "a dedicated space to optimise wellbeing throughout the flight".
Within is a "movement space" with padded walls for "comfort leaning" and a self-serve bar stocked with "premium refreshments".