Qantas is warning that its planned Project Sunrise ultra-long-haul service between Sydney and London could face longer routings and payload penalties if Midway Atoll Airport loses its diversion-airport status. The route, due to start in late 2027 with Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft, depends on the Pacific airport as an ETOPS alternates point, and any change could add about 20 minutes of flying time, require roughly 2,200 kg more fuel and cut payload by about 22 passengers.
Midway Atoll Airport, also known as Henderson Field, sits in the central Pacific and is used for diversion planning rather than passenger traffic. Qantas has urged US authorities to keep it available for long-haul operations, with the airport understood to need major rehabilitation costing around US$100 million.
The potential loss of Midway comes as Project Sunrise moves closer to launch and the economics of ultra-long-haul flying remain tightly linked to routing, fuel burn and diversion coverage. The Sydney-London service is expected to be among the longest scheduled flights in the world, making even small changes to alternate-airport planning commercially significant.