QANTAS AIRWAYS

Qantas will offer direct flights from Sydney to New York starting mid-2028, which are expected to take around 18 hours. The airline will use specially modified Airbus aircraft with an additional 20,000-liter tank; it has ordered twelve planes with capacity for 238 passengers. The plan is part of the "Sunrise" project, which also includes direct flights to London, and follows a sharp rise in demand between Australia and New York since 2023. Qantas shares traded higher at times. » More on finanzen.net

Qantas will begin selling seats next August for its first nonstop New York–Sydney service, due to start in 2028 with Airbus A350-1000 ULR aircraft and an expected flight time of about 18 hours. The carrier plans an even longer London–Sydney nonstop next October that could run about 20 hours. Qantas says strong demand from premium-paying customers and lessons from its Perth–London route underpin the expansion, and the A350-1000 ULR will offer first, business, premium economy and economy cabins plus measures to mitigate jet lag as part of Project Sunrise. » More on cnbc.com

Qantas flight QF122 from Queenstown to Sydney experienced a suspected left-engine issue shortly after takeoff, with passengers reporting visible flames and cabin lights flickering. The Boeing 737 made a priority landing in Christchurch about 52 minutes after departure, where emergency services met the aircraft and passengers disembarked normally. Qantas sent engineers to investigate, provided hotel accommodation and rebooked affected customers on a complimentary flight, and said the aircraft landed safely under pilot control. » More on theguardian.com