Worlds longest non-stop UK flight will take off in 2027 - passengers will see 2 sunrises

Flying long-haul can be brutal; trying to stay entertained, hydrated and well rested requires a lot of planning, and sometimes it can just get a little bit tedious being sat in the same seat for hours on end.

However next year, some passengers are going to have to up their game when they board the world's longest flight, which will include being in the aircraft for up to 22 hours, although it's expected to offer an actual flight time of around 20 hours. (So, plenty of time to watch a LOT of in-flight films).

As for jet lag, they'll be seeing two sunrises along the way, so those in-flight naps might become even more important.

Qantas Airlines is set to launch the world's longest non-stop commercial flight in the world, with the first route set to take off in October 2027. Currently, the world's longest commercial flight is operated by Singapore Airlines between Singapore and New York, with an approximate flight time of 18 hours and 50 minutes.

Qantas already operates a 17-18 hour flight between London and Perth, Australia (the longest direct flight from the UK), but now it's going to be opening up another destination.

Dubbed 'Project Sunrise', the new flight will operate as a direct route between London Heathrow and Sydney, lasting approximately 22 hours; the first direct route to Sydney from the UK.

To handle the distance, the airline has ordered 12 new Airbus A350s, specifically manufactured for the project. Each plane will be able to hold around 238 seats across four cabins. The new Airbus aircraft were put through their paces just last month, with the first test flight on the A350-1000ULR setting off from Toulouse, where the planes are being manufactured, and landing in Melbourne.

Two Qantas pilots joined the test crew on board the plane, which has been named Vega. The plan is for Qantas to take delivery of the aircraft by April 2027.

As for passengers who want to be on board? Tickets for the new route are expected to go on sale in February 2027, although there's not yet an indication of what those ticket prices will look like.

There are also plans to roll out a new route between Sydney and New York on the aircraft, but there's no confirmed launch date for this route at the time of writing.

At the moment there are no direct flights between Sydney and London, although Qantas does offer a flight including a stopover in Singapore, which can create a total journey time of about 25 hours. It claims that the new A350 route could ultimately save passengers "up to four hours" of travel time in comparison.

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