Qantas Gives Historic QF1/QF2 to Its Nonstop Sydney–London Flights From October 2027

SYDNEY, Nov. 9, 2026 — Qantas will move its flagship QF1 and QF2 flight numbers to the Project Sunrise nonstop service between Sydney and London Heathrow, due to start in October 2027. This is a new development since our Nov. 8 report on the more than 1,560 crew Qantas is preparing for its A350-1000ULR fleet.

The flight

Route: Sydney–London Heathrow nonstop, about 16,000 km and about 22 hours.
Start: October 2027; exact date TBA.
Aircraft: specially modified Airbus A350-1000ULR with an extra centre fuel tank. The first delivery is expected in April 2027, followed by crew training. Twelve were approved in 2022, originally for 2025 delivery.
Cabin: 6 First, 52 Business, 40 Premium Economy and 140 Economy, plus a new “Wellbeing Zone.” The report also mentions 42 Economy Plus seats at 34-inch pitch.

The flight-number shuffle

Service	Today	After the change
Sydney–London nonstop (A350-1000ULR)	Not yet operating	QF1 / QF2
Sydney–Singapore–London (A380)	QF1 / QF2	QF5 / QF6
Perth–Rome (seasonal)	QF5 / QF6	QF105 / QF106

The effective date of the renumbering has not been published (TBA).

What it means for non-revs

Nothing changes yet. When the renumbering takes effect, make sure you list on the right flight number: QF1/QF2 will mean the nonstop, not the Singapore one-stop.
The A350-1000ULR’s listed cabins add up to 238 seats on a 22-hour flight. Expect the nonstop to be a tough standby; the one-stop via Singapore (future QF5/QF6) is likely to stay the better bet.
Perth–Rome riders: look for QF105/QF106 once the change is loaded.