Qantas, the Australian flag carrier, says it’s not worried that not being able to cross Russian airspace will stop its planned “Project Sunrise” flights from Sydney to London or New York—instead of crossing Russia, the flights may go over the North Pole instead.
Vanessa Hudson, Qantas CEO, told The Independent (UK) that “The really unique thing about this flight is that at some times of the year, the fastest way to get from Sydney to London will be over Japan and over the North Pole and down the other side because of the wind direction… Don’t just assume that you have to fly west [from Sydney to London] all the time—there will be other routes that we can take.”
Qantas has been developing Project Sunrise for years; the two routes from Sydney are among its network highlights, and will be over 20 hours inflight for each. Qantas ordered several specially-modified A350s with extended range capabilities and other modifications; they will be in production by September, delivered next year, and enter service early in 2027.
