According to Australian media outlet Executive Traveller, Qantas has revealed a list of possible new destinations once the Airbus A380 fleet is fully reactivated and its new Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350-1000 aircraft are delivered.
The Sydney-Seattle route has the potential to materialize, similar to the Sydney-Vancouver service currently operated by Qantas on 787s. In addition, Seattle is a major base for Alaska Airlines, a fellow member of Oneworld, allowing it to offer more connections in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Chicago is also on the list, previously the airline scheduled a service between Brisbane and the Windy City to start in April 2020, this could not be carried out due to the COVID-19 health crisis. This route would be very strategic for the airline, they would become the only airline operator to offer air service between Australia and Chicago, plus O’Hare International Airport is a hub for its partner American Airlines.
Also among the options is Las Vegas, to attract business travel for conferences and conventions, as well as leisure travel. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority reported that Australia accounted for the second-highest number of visitors in 2023 behind only the United Kingdom.
In Europe, a seasonal service is being studied, complementing services to Rome-Fiumicino, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, and London-Heathrow. A route has been studied, a popular holiday destination and the state of Victoria has a significant Greek diaspora, in the past the defunct Olympic Airlines even had services between Greece and Australia.
In 2026, Qantas expects to receive its first Airbus A350-1000ULRs to start the Sydney-London and Sydney-New York routes that are part of the Sunrise Project, and I expect to receive a second batch of these models that will have a three-class configuration, and it is expected that by the next decade, the A350-1000s will replace the A380s.
See also: Qantas Project Sunrise Nears Reality as Airbus A350-1000 Gets Approval
