Qantas Airways Ltd (ASX: QAN) shares are slipping today.
Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) airline stock closed yesterday trading for $10.14. In early morning trade on Friday, shares are changing hands for $10.12 a piece, down 0.7%.
For some context, the ASX 200 is down 0.5% at this same time.
Qantas shares are facing headwinds today amid escalating tensions and fighting in and around Iran. Fears of ongoing oil shipment disruptions saw the Brent crude oil price top US$100 again, which will translate into higher jet fuel costs for Qantas.
But that's not holding back the history-making, cross-global test flight of Qantas' Project Sunrise Airbus A350-1000ULR.
Here's what's happening.
Image source: Getty Images
Qantas shares in focus amid maiden test flight
This morning, the ASX 200 airline reported that the first A350-1000ULR is set to land in Melbourne today, after taking off from its production facility in Toulouse, France.
Pilots and engineers will test the aircraft's systems, including the added 20,000-litre fuel tank that enables it to fly non-stop for up to 22 hours.
Airbus has specifically manufactured the A350-1000ULR for Project Sunrise, part of Qantas' $15 billion fleet renewal program.
Qantas shares could gain longer-term support from Project Sunrise, which will see the airline offer non-stop flights between Sydney and London, commencing in October 2027.
This service will mark the first-ever non-stop commercial flights connecting Australia's east coast to the United Kingdom.
Indeed, when Qantas first began flying between Sydney and London in 1947, the trip took four days and required seven refuelling stops on the way.
The new Airbus A350-1000ULR will see that travel time cut to less than 22 hours, saving passengers up to four hours compared with the fastest one-stop services available today.
Qantas will take delivery of a total of 12 of the new aircraft, configured with 238 seats each, with the first non-stop Sydney to London flight tickets going on sale in February 2027. The first commercial flights are scheduled for October 2027.
Commenting on the historic non-stop service in June, Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson said:
We made a commitment in 2017 that Qantas would conquer the final frontier of long-haul aviation and connect Australia's east coast directly to London, something that has never before been possible. From October 2027, that promise becomes reality.
Qantas will also be offering non-stop Sydney to New York flights. The company plans to announce the timing of these new services next year.
With today's slide factored in, Qantas shares are down 3.6% in 2026.
