Qantas choses A350-1000 for Project Sunrise

[MarkR]

Qantas has chosen Airbus' A350-1000 as the aircraft it will use for non-stop flights from Australia's east coast to New York and London, but delayed a decision on whether to go ahead with the new routes by three months.

The airline on Friday said the Airbus jet had beaten Boeing's 777X-8 as the preferred aircraft for its so-called "Project Sunrise" flights, which will be the longest commercial airline routes in aviation history.

Qantas has not yet placed a binding order, but says it will buy up to 12 of the Airbus jets if it goes ahead with the ultra-long haul flights.

https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/qantas-picks-a350-1000-for-non-stop-london-new-york-flights-20191213-p53jmx.html

[Greg Hyde]

Qantas has pushed back the deadline for a final decision on whether to proceed with plans to operate nonstop flights from Australia’s east coast to London and New York by three months to March 2020.

Despite the delay, Qantas said on Friday it had chosen the Airbus A350-1000 as the aircraft to complete these ultra long-haul missions, should it opt to proceed with what it has called Project Sunrise.

No orders have been placed for the A350-1000. Instead, Qantas said Airbus had given the airline a one-month extension to March 2020 to place an order for up to 12 aircraft without impacting the proposed flights beginning in the first half of calendar 2023.

That extra time would be used to continue discussions with pilot groups for a new work contract covering the proposed ultra long-haul services, Qantas said. The Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) is the union representing Qantas pilots.

“The discussions are aimed at closing the last remaining gap in the Project Sunrise business case,” Qantas said.

“Qantas has put forward a number of suggestions to AIPA on how the gap might be closed while still offering three per cent annual pay increases and promotional opportunities to its long haul pilots.”

“Discussions centre on productivity and efficiency gains, including the ability to use the same pilots across its A350 Sunrise aircraft and the airline’s existing fleet of Airbus A330s.”

Further, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said management had offered “promotions and an increase in pay” in return for “some flexibility”, which would help lower the airline’s operating costs.

“From the outset, we’ve been clear that Project Sunrise depends on a business case that works. We’ll only commit to this investment if we know it will generate the right return for our shareholders given the inherent commercial risks,” Joyce said in a statement.

“We’ve done a lot of work on the economics and we know the last gap we have to close is some efficiency gains associated with our pilots.”

https://australianaviation.com.au/2019/12/qantas-picks-a350-1000-for-sunrise-delays-final-decision-to-march-2020/

[James Smith]

Two A350-1000s would be required to operate SYD- JFK or LHR non-stop on a daily basis. A twelve A350-1000 order would see QANTAS potentially able to operate daily non-stop flights from MEL, SYD and BNE to JFK and LHR.

[MarkR]

They would need a minimum of three for either route if commercial considerations come into play

[James Smith]

Yes, operating 20 hour flights with only two hour turnaround times day in and day out would be much too tight.

I read today in Executive Traveller that Frankfurt is being added to the Project Sunrise destinations.

https://www.executivetraveller.com/news/qantas-project-sunrise-frankfurt

[Greg Hyde]

Qantas Sunrise Project A350 to be “real dream machine”

The Qantas A350, which will operate the airline’s ultra-long-haul flights will indeed be a dream machine as well as a time machine taking passengers back to the roomy days when economy travel was pleasant.

One insider in Sydney told AirlineRatings.com that the A350 will be the most spacious commercial aircraft flying and a “real dream machine”

According to the insiders, the configuration of the A350 will be four classes and economy passengers will get about 34-inch (86.4cm) seat pitch, rather than the normal 31 inches (79cm).

And the economy seats will be wider than those on the 787 and 747.

The Qantas A350 economy seats will be 18 inches (45.7cm) wide – almost an inch (2.54cm) wider than those on the 787.

It is understood that the passenger configuration of the A350 will be around 270 seats rather than the 300 touted in the original Sunrise Project specification.

The insiders tell AirlineRatings.com that First Class, Business Class and Premium Economy will all be “significantly” enhanced with more legroom in Premium Economy, closer to Air New Zealand’s industry high 42 inches (106.7cm).

And the word is that the first 12 to be delivered from late 2021 will be just the start of a major buy from Airbus.

While the nonstop routes New York to Sydney and Sydney to London for the A350 get the all headlines the aircraft will be used from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth to London as well as New York to Sydney and Melbourne.

Those services alone will require more A350s than Qantas has on order.

Following those routes, others such as Los Angeles to Perth non-stop will evolve.

Insiders suggest a fleet of 30 A350s could be expected within 10 years.

It is also highly likely say insiders that the airline’s 12 A380 will not last for another 10 years as stated by the airline being retired starting from 2025/6.

Qantas’s A380s are currently undergoing an expensive refurbishment program with the first two in service.

https://www.airlineratings.com/news/qantas-sunrise-project-a350-real-dream-machine/?fbclid=IwAR1ur4WHwvzEkDp5GEpQWmODYHAp6aRnxdtV4_9r HBHzTmuBCkuTSJOZdx4

[MarkR]

[B]
And the word is that the first 12 to be delivered from late 2021 will be just the start of a major buy from Airbus.

While the nonstop routes New York to Sydney and Sydney to London for the A350 get the all headlines the aircraft will be used from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth to London as well as New York to Sydney and Melbourne.

Those services alone will require more A350s than Qantas has on order.

Following those routes, others such as Los Angeles to Perth non-stop will evolve.

Insiders suggest a fleet of 30 A350s could be expected within 10 years.

[/url]


LOL what a load of speculation and rubbish! These services alone will require more A350s than Qantas has on order, doh, Qantas dont have any on order!

[lloyd fox]

Yes but once they get the Pilots EBA sorted then they surely will order them.Just a matter of time.:)

[MarkR]

Yes but once they get the Pilots EBA sorted then they surely will order them.Just a matter of time.:)

They did say final go/no go is due by the end of March to ensure slots, and the capacity reductions are not going to help EBA discussions. Looks like a JQ A320 off to Qantaslink!

[Greg Hyde]

Alan Joyce: No shortage of pilots for London to Sydney route

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce upped the stakes in his negotiation with staff over the upcoming London to Sydney route, telling reporters there was “no shortage of pilots” ready to take on the assignment.

Talking as he announced cuts to services to Asia, he said, “I’ve had the letter from a captain from China Southern who says he’s been laid off in recent issues there, and he can get hundreds of captains from China and Asia to operate Project Sunrise if we want to.”

The direct response comes after a memo leaked to Reuters last week said the airline wouldn’t shy away from forming a lower-cost pilot group if a deal could not be reached for the new ultra-long-haul route.

Qantas and the Australian and International Pilots Association have been locked in talks for months over a deal to operate Project Sunrise, the name of Qantas’ ambitious plan to fly non-stop from the east coast of Australia to London and New York from 2023.

The airline has selected the Airbus SE A350-1000 as its plane to undertake the 17,000 kilometre journey – but the order is contingent on reaching a deal with pilots by March.

In the memo obtained by Reuters, Qantas International head Tino La Spina was reported as saying the airline would form a new lower-cost pilot group if needs be.

He said, “Airbus extended the delivery slots one last time once they knew they were the preferred supplier, but they are not willing to continue their exposure beyond that point.”

The memo added that the offer for A330 pilots who would also fly the A350 is 5 per cent more than for its Boeing 787 fleet.

In a statement after the release of the leaked email, La Spina said, “Our strong preference is to reach an agreement with our pilots.”

The escalation of the dispute came on a busy day for Qantas, which announced earlier that it would reduce overall capacity to Asia by 15 per cent until at least the end of May, cut international capacity by 16 per cent, and cut Jetstar seats to the region by a further 14 per cent.

Flights between Sydney and Shanghai will remain suspended, Joyce said, while the popular route between Hong Kong and Sydney will be halved from 14 trips a week to just seven.

Meanwhile, flights from Melbourne and Brisbane will be axed, as will Jetstar flights to Japan and Thailand.

Jetstar flights between Australia and New Zealand will also be reduced by around 5 per cent, and the group’s domestic capacity will go down by 2.3 per cent in the second half of the year.

Joyce said, “Coronavirus resulted in the suspension of flights to mainland China, and we’re now seeing some secondary impacts and weaker demand on Hong Kong, Singapore and to a lesser extent Japan.

“What’s important is that we have flexibility in how we respond to coronavirus and how we maintain our strategic position more broadly.”

https://australianaviation.com.au/2020/02/alan-joyce-no-shortage-of-pilots-for-london-to-sydney-route/?inf_contact_key=c1fb547f5f7f43c04f70dee3ecde3a296 80f8914173f9191b1c0223e68310bb1

[Greg Hyde]

Qantas moves closer to ultra-long-haul flights after safety approval

Qantas says its plans for ultra-long-haul flights has moved a step closer after a fatigue management system was ticked off by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, despite concerns from the pilots' union over a lack of consultation.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) confirmed on Thursday it had approved Qantas' new fatigue risk management system (FRMS), which allows pilots to fly for more than 20 hours, having assessed it as "robust and capable" during a 12-month trial.

It is the first time CASA has allowed a commercial carrier to design its own fatigue safety systems, rather than have to abide by the regulator's stipulated mandatory breaks and other rules to ensure pilots are alert enough to fly.

Qantas said the system's approval, ticked off on Tuesday, was an important step in making its proposed ultra-long-haul "Project Sunrise" flights from Australia's east coast to London and New York a reality, by allowing it to push pilot duty limits beyond 20 hours.

Full Story

https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/qantas-moves-closer-to-ultra-long-haul-flights-after-safety-approval-20200227-p544y5.html?fbclid=IwAR2HV4IwvPpmSOpwi733z-H1vQpxtp3dgyQj8l4BjClDrGbz1GNqBVdutdk

[Greg McDonald]

Hmmm....me smells FAA/Boeing tie-up!!

[Greg Hyde]

Qantas looks to delay Airbus A350 purchase for Project Sunrise

Qantas plans to delay the purchase of Airbus A350-1000 jets for non-stop Project Sunrise flights to London and New York as the coronavirus sweeps across the world.

Speaking with media following today's announcement of drastic cuts to the airline's international network, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce confirmed that he has asked Airbus for an extension to the March 31 deadline for ordering the aircraft.

“Airbus had given us the delay until the end of March," Joyce said. "That was based on the fact the slots were potentially valuable and could be sold to other airlines. We think in the current environment that may not be the case, nobody seems to be ordering aircraft.

"We would rather wait for the coronavirus issue to be out of the way before we put a firm aircraft order in for the A350," Joyce explained, adding that "we haven’t heard back from Airbus yet, but we’re hopeful we can try and get an extension.”

Qantas has already earmarked an initial order of up to 12 Airbus A350-1000s, which would be modified to include an additional fuel tank for making the 18-20 hour flights needed to connect Sydney and Melbourne to the likes of New York, London and Paris in a single globe-striding leap.

At a list price of US$366.5 million per jet, that represents a massive outlay of US$4.4 billion, although airlines typically receive a discount of up to 50% off the sticker.

Further A350-1000 orders could follow as replacements for Qantas' 12-strong Airbus A380 superjumbo fleet, eight of which will now be mothballed until at least September 2020 due to reduced travel demand in the wake of the coronavirus.

Although Qantas announced its Project Sunrise proposal in August 2017, and has dedicated years of research to the concept, the airline has yet to officially give Project Sunrise the green light, with that go/no-go decision previously due to be made by the end of March 2020.

https://www.executivetraveller.com/news/qantas-looks-to-delay-airbus-a350-purchase-for-project-sunrise

[Christopher Campbell]

QF pilots vote in approval for Project Sunrise pay deal

https://amp.smh.com.au/business/companies/qantas-pilots-back-project-sunrise-pay-deal-but-virus-delays-aircraft-order-20200330-p54f8y.html

Qantas' international pilot group has voted in favour of a new pay deal which the airline said was the final obstacle to it launching new non-stop flights to London and New York.

But the airline's ambitious "Project Sunrise" is on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has devastated airlines globally, despite pilots backing the plan to launch ultra-long haul flights from Sydney and Melbourne in 2023.

On Monday, the airline wrote to pilots confirming that the new enterprise bargaining agreement had been voted up, with 85 per cent backing the deal.

"Reaching an agreement... means that we have now met the Flight Operations component of the Project Sunrise business case," Qantas chief pilot Captain Richard Tobiano said in an email to pilots, seen by The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.

"The extraordinary circumstances facing aviation has seen Airbus agree to extend the deadline on our decision to purchase the A350s so we can focus on navigating the coronavirus crisis.

"When this period has passed, and it will, we will refocus our attention on Project Sunrise and the A350 order."

[Greg Hyde]

Coronavirus puts Qantas Project Sunrise on hold

Qantas has halted its ambitious plans for non-stop flights to London, Paris and New York due to uncertainty over travel demand in the post-coronavirus world.

The airline's Project Sunrise was set to launch in just three years' time, by the middle of 2023, but Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce has confirmed to Executive Traveller that "we will be putting Project Sunrise on hold."

"We do think there is a huge potential for Project Sunrise but the time is not right now, given the impact that COVID-19 has had on world travel," Joyce reflected. "But we do think there's still a good business case for it, and a good opportunity."

This also means that Qantas won't go ahead with its order of a dedicated fleet of up to 12 Airbus A350-1000 jets intended to tackle those globe-striding flights of 18-20 hours – an order valued as high as $6.8bn (US$4.4bn) based on Airbus' list price.

https://www.executivetraveller.com/news/coronavirus-qantas-project-sunrise-airbus-a350-on-hold

[Greg Hyde]

Joyce hints Qantas could buy Project Sunrise A350s this year

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce has hinted the business could purchase the Airbus A350-1000s necessary to fly Project Sunrise routes at the end of the year.

“People in the post-COVID world will want to fly direct, which I think makes the Project Sunrise business case even better than it was pre-COVID,” said Joyce at the Reuters Next conference on Wednesday. “At the end of 2021, we can revisit [Project Sunrise] and look at what’s the appropriate time.”

In March, Qantas agreed to a deal with the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) for its members to fly the London and New York to Sydney/Melbourne routes. However, later that month its order for the 12 A350-1000s was pushed back as the COVID crisis grounded all international flights.

Joyce said that while the business would “obviously” not put in an order until international markets recover, he was still “very optimistic” about Project Sunrise.

He added that the slightly shorter Perth-London 787s flights were the “best route on our network” and expected the same for those to the eastern states of Australia.

Project Sunrise has not been without its controversies, with AIPA president Mark Sedgwick hinting last year that the COVID-19 crisis played a part in pilots agreeing on a deal to fly the long route.

“This is an incredibly uncertain time for our members, with many stood down from flying on no pay, with no end in sight,” said Sedgwick. “When we return to flying, our expert pilots will be at the helm as part of Qantas’ ultra long-haul services.”

Full story

https://australianaviation.com.au/2021/01/joyce-hints-qantas-could-buy-project-sunrise-a350s-this-year/

[Greg Hyde]

Qantas is expected to announce the order for Project Sunrise tomorrow.

The A350-1000 demo aircraft (F-WMIL) is on its way to Perth (and then Sydney) to
background the announcement.

[Rowan McKeever]

Only slightly off topic but I’d suggest the announcement will also include the firm A220 order given a very new Air Baltic A220 is also in Sydney. Good news all ‘round!

[James Smith]

The A350-1000 demo aircraft (F-WMIL) is on its way to Perth (and then Sydney) to background the announcement.

A350-100, F-WMIL as AIB151 arrived in PER 50 minutes ago and is scheduled to arrive in SYD tomorrow at 8:00am. It could arrive earlier though as it is planning a 5 hour flight from PER. An A320 about to arrive in SYD will complete the flight in just over 4 hours.

[James Smith]

More information about tomorrow's QANTAS order announcement:

On Sunday the West Australian newspaper said, without citing sources, that the Qantas order would include 12 A350s, 20 A321XLRs and 20 A220s as well as purchase rights for 106 more airplanes spread among the different types.

An airBaltic A220 was parked in Sydney on Sunday, FlightRadar24 showed.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/may/01/qantas-closes-in-on-direct-sydney-to-london-flights-with-landmark-airbus-jet-order-industry-sources-say

Source: The Guardian

[Rowan McKeever]

With all due respect, I’d take The West with a grain of salt, especially if their author can’t/won’t reveal sources. There are some questionable claims in that article so, while it may turn out to be correct, I’ll be waiting for the official announcement.

[James Smith]

QANTAS Project Sunrise and other Airbus order media release:

https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-group-announces-major-aircraft-order-to-shape-its-future/

[Greg Hyde]

ABOUT THE ORDER

Firm orders for 12 Airbus A350-1000 for Project Sunrise. Deliveries to begin in 2025 and complete by 2028.

Firm orders for 20 A321XLR and 20 A220-300 for Project Winton to start renewal of Qantas’ narrow body fleet as its fleet of 95 Boeing 737 and Boeing 717 aircraft retire. Deliveries of A220s to start late calendar 2023; A321XLRs deliveries to start a year later in late calendar 2024.
An additional 94 purchase right options spread across A320 and A220 families, with significant flexibility on delivery timing (over 10-plus years) and aircraft type.

Combines with the existing order of 109 A320s (plus purchase rights) for Jetstar into a single Qantas Group narrow body order of 299 aircraft (half of which are firm orders and half are purchase right options), with the flexibility to draw down on that order by choosing any variant from the A320 and A220 families.

Demonstration of this flexibility with confirmation today that Jetstar will convert 20 of its existing A320 family order to A321XLRs, which have the potential to fly short haul international routes, with delivery to start in the second half of calendar 2024. (The first tranche from this existing order – 18 A321LRs – are due to arrive from July 2022 onwards.)

JQ's first A321LR delivery July 2022