Qantas has opted for the Airbus A350-1000 over the Boeing 777X as its preferred aircraft for its ultra-long-range Project Sunrise flights initiative.
Airbus will add an additional fuel tank and slightly increase the maximum takeoff weight to deliver the performance required for Sunrise routes should they go ahead.
No orders have been placed but Qantas will work closely with Airbus to prepare contract terms for up to 12 aircraft ahead of a final decision.
More: Qantas non-stop London-Sydney research flight takes off
Qantas completes record-breaking New York-Sydney flight
Airbus has agreed to extend the deadline to confirm delivery slots from February to March 2020 without impacting the planned start date of Project Sunrise flights in the first half of 2023.
The last of three Project Sunrise research flights from New York to Sydney will run on December 17.
Once complete, Qantas will have almost 60 hours of ‘Sunrise flying’ experience and thousands of data points on crew and passenger wellbeing.
Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said: “Between the research flights and what we’ve learned from two years of flying Perth to London, we have a lot of confidence in the market for direct services like New York and London to the east coast of Australia.
“The A350 is a fantastic aircraft and the deal on the table with Airbus gives us the best possible combination of commercial terms, fuel efficiency, operating cost and customer experience.
“The aircraft and engine combination is next generation technology but it’s thoroughly proven after more than two years in service. This is the right choice for the Sunrise missions and it also has the right economics to do other long haul routes if we want it to.”
But he added: “From the outset, we’ve been clear that Project Sunrise depends on a business case that works. We’ll only commit to this investment if we know it will generate the right return for our shareholders given the inherent commercial risks.
“We’ve done a lot of work on the economics and we know the last gap we have to close is some efficiency gains associated with our pilots. We’re offering promotions and an increase in pay but we’re asking for some flexibility in return, which will help lower our operating costs.
“Airbus has given us an extra month to lock in an aircraft order without impacting our planned start date, which means we can spend more time on hopefully reaching a deal with our pilots.”
More: Qantas non-stop London-Sydney research flight takes off