Qantas unveils new business-class seats for Project Sunrise marathon flights
Qantas has unveiled a new business-class seat as it prepares to launch the world's longest flights.
As part of "Project Sunrise," the Australian flag carrier will launch nonstop flights from Sydney Airport (SYD) to both New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and London's Heathrow Airport (LHR) starting in late 2025. These flights will use 12 specially configured Airbus A350-1000 aircraft currently on order.
Comfort will be key for these marathon journeys of 20-plus hours in the skies, so the airline is investing heavily in the passenger experience. With just 238 seats across four classes, this will be the most spacious and lowest-density A350-1000 passenger aircraft to take to the skies.
The upcoming A350 business-class cabin will feature 52 suites in a 1-2-1 configuration from manufacturer Safran Seats. While the Vue product is new to the market, it includes industry-standard features for long-haul business class, including direct aisle access for all passengers, a fully flat bed, plenty of storage and a sliding door for extra privacy.
The business-class suites will also feature Bluetooth connectivity, as well as wireless charging, a technological innovation TPG recently enjoyed on board Finnair's revolutionary new non-reclining business-class seat.
Qantas previously released details of the six modern and spacious first-class suites that will take pride of place in the front of the A350 aircraft. With high walls and closing doors, first-class passengers will enjoy a reclining 22-inch-wide seat for takeoff, meals and a number of entertainment options on the 32-inch inflight entertainment screen.
The suites will also feature a separate 6.5-foot-long (2-meter-long) bed to ensure a good night's sleep on these ultra-long-haul flights.
"Qantas has been the leader in opening up new long-haul flights for most of our history, and we're bringing everything we've learned, both technically and in terms of passenger comfort, to Project Sunrise flying," said Qantas CEO Alan Joyce. "We're building on the customer experience of our extremely popular non-stop flights from Perth to London as we keep working to make it easier to connect Australia with the rest of the world."
As first reported by Executive Traveller, Qantas will also install fast and free ViaSat-3 Wi-Fi for all passengers on board its entire long-haul fleet later this year, including its existing Airbus A330, Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, as well as the new Airbus A350 fleet ordered for Project Sunrise.
The new seats feature modern design and cutting-edge technology, though it's worth noting that Qantas will not commence flying this product for almost three years, which could see these innovations quickly fall out of date in the rapidly changing and highly competitive luxury aviation market.
With plenty of lead time to tease the details of these new products, Qantas will announce plans for the premium economy and regular economy cabins in the coming months. More about the small onboard "Wellbeing Zone" that all passengers will have access to is also expected in the near future.
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