Qantas (QF, Sydney Kingsford Smith) has announced that its pilots voted to approve the necessary changes to their employment terms which would permit the operation of ultra-long-haul flights dubbed Project Sunrise.

Out of 1,400 pilots who took part in the union ballot, 85% voted in favour of the changes. The Australian airline said earlier that while securing the agreement of the pilots was crucial, it would be prepared to sidestep unions if required.

However, while the agreement of the pilots is a key step, Qantas has yet to formally commit to Project Sunrise with a firm order for dedicated aircraft. The airline tentatively selected twelve A350-1000(ULR)s in December 2019 and, at that time, planned to firm the order by the end of March. However, given the COVID-19 pandemic, Qantas has asked Airbus to defer the deadline to the end of the year.

"But when this period has passed, and it will, we will refocus our attention on Project Sunrise and the A350 order," Qantas chief pilot Dick Tobiano said.

The airline tentatively plans to launch ultra-long-haul flights to destinations such as London Heathrow, Paris CDG, and New York JFK in 2023.