Qantas has promised to start direct flights from Sydney to London by late 2025 in a multi-billion dollar bet that fliers will pay a premium to save four hours on the popular route.
The long haul Sydney-London flight will take roughly 20 hours, making it one of the longest in the world.
Qantas already provides a direct 17-hour flight between London and Perth and the firm has now ordered 12 new airbuses capable of flying non-stop to the UK and the US.
The long-discussed breakthrough will give the airline a marketing boost on what has long been called the "kangaroo route" where all flights had to hop, stopping somewhere for fuel.
It would also "reduce emissions by at least 15 percent if running on fossil fuels, and significantly better when run on sustainable aviation fuel", according to CEO Alan Joyce.
The Qantas boss described the move as "the last frontier and the final fix for the tyranny of distance".
He added: "The A350 and Project Sunrise will make any city just one flight away from Australia.
"This order brings us closer to our commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050."
The flights will use A350-1000 aircrafts, specially configured with extra premium seating and reduced overall capacity to ferry up to 238 passengers on the 20-hour trip.
Rivals offering one-stop services will include Singapore Airlines Ltd, Emirates and Qatar Airways.
However, high fuel costs and low cabin density mean a sizeable revenue premium is required to make Qantas's non-stop flights viable.
The airline did not say what it would charge.
Announcing plans for the service on Monday, Qantas said a strong recovery in the domestic market and signs of an improvement in international flying after the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic had given it the confidence to make a major investment in its future.
The airline forecasts a return to profit in the financial year starting July.
"Since the start of the calendar year, we have seen huge increases in demand," Mr Joyce said.
Qantas shares closed up three per cent at the highest level since November after it also said debt levels had fallen to pre-pandemic levels faster than the market's expectations.
Airbus shares slipped one per cent in early trading.
The A350-1000 order was the culmination of a challenge called Project Sunrise set for Airbus and rival Boeing Co in 2017 to create aircraft capable of the record-breaking flights.
Airbus was selected as the preferred supplier in late 2019, but Qantas delayed ordering for two years due to financial challenges during the pandemic.
The Qantas planes will carry passengers in four classes and will have around 100 fewer seats than rivals British Airways and Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd use on their A350-1000s.
The Australian carrier will dedicate more than 40 per cent of seating to premium classes.
