When you think of long-haul passenger flights in today’s world you think of routes that take up to 19 hours of non-stop flight. They link places like Singapore to Newark, Bangalore to San Francisco, or Dubai to Auckland, and are operated by some of the world’s biggest carriers: Singapore Airlines, Air India, or Emirates.
But what if we told you another company, also a constant presence in the skies of our world and used to conducting long-haul flights, is planning to make trips that can take even 22 hours to complete the new norm?
The company’s name is Qantas, and its idea even has an official name: Project Sunrise. Made public in 2017, the project called for either Boeing or Airbus to create an aircraft that could stay in the air for 18 to 22 hours, as the carrier moves to make it possible to link places on the Australian continent with pretty much every other destination on the planet. Or at least the most profitable ones in Europe and North America.
In May last year, Qantas announced Airbus was chosen to supply the airplane for Sunrise, more precisely the A350-1000. That’s a flying beast capable of carrying up to 410 passengers to distances that can be as long as 16,112 km (10,000 miles).
For someone to be able to enjoy such long flights, though, the seats going in these planes have to be masterfully crafted. The ones in business and first class, at least, and these are the ones the company decided on this week. They’re called Unity, are made by Safran, and have never been used in an aircraft before.
Photo: Qantas
Well, technically these things are not seats per se, but miniature studios, if you like. Each A350-1000 in the Qantas fleet will get 58 of them, each equipped with its own door.
There will be six suites in first class. Open their doors and you’re treated to the sight of a wide, reclining seat that comes with its own controls, and a smaller, opposite seat. Storage spaces are spread throughout the mini-cabin, to a total of six, and they are complemented by a hideaway wardrobe. Also hidden is a foldable table.
As a very important touch when it comes to long-haul flights, each suite will come with its own 2-meter (6.6-feet) bed, complete with luxury bedding. And guess what, at one end of the bed there will be a 32-inch touch screen with Bluetooth connectivity, so you can play all your favorite Netflix or Disney+ shows.
When it comes to the 52 seats for business class, they are like scaled-down versions of those cabins are offered. Each suite comes with a sliding door over which one can easily see, storage spaces, a mirror for whatever reasons, and of course a screen, only this time just 18 inches in size. People traveling business will also have access to refreshments and wireless charging. Their seats too, obviously, can turn into two-meter beds.
As per Qantas, the first Project Sunrise airplanes are set to fly in 2025. The first route to be flown will likely be from Sydney to New York.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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