Sneak peek at special Qantas jetliners for record-breaking 22-hour nonstop flights
By Maureen O’Hare, CNN
(CNN) — This week’s Unlocking the World newsletter is all about air travel: the world’s busiest and best-rated airports, the most innovative new seat designs, and the most ambitious upcoming flight routes.
Project Sunrise
Australian airline Qantas Airways’ much-talked-about Project Sunrise will see a fleet of 12 Airbus A350-1000ULRs take on record-breaking 22-hour flights from Sydney to London and New York.
Newly released pictures show that the very first plane of the ultra-long-range crack team has rolled off the final assembly line in Toulouse, France. Now complete with high-thrust Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, it’s primed to undergo ground tests ahead of the expected launch of commercial flights in 2027. The first photos of the Qantas planes came out late last year.
To make passengers more comfortable on those marathon nonstop routes, the fleet will have spacious, ergonomically designed cabins with a seat count of just 238, compared to the standard 400 on other A350-1000s.
More than 40% of seats will be in premium cabins, with the top-class amenities including flat-bed suites and full-length wardrobes, and a Wellbeing Zone in the center of the plane will allow travelers to stretch their legs and stock up on refreshments for the long hours ahead.
Double-level airplane seat
Could you handle 22 hours, or even two, in double-level airplane seating?
The Chaise Longue seat concept by 26-year-old designer Alejandro Núñez Vicente has sparked intense social media debate in the years since it premiered in 2020, but its makers say the latest version of the design is the “ultimate, final statement.”
CNN got an exclusive first peek at the new two-tier design. Take a look here to see if the spacing constraints might have you in tears too.
No airlines or aviation companies have committed yet to producing the Chaise Longue concept, but fans of multi-level flying don’t have long to wait for another new cabin innovation.
Bookings open May 18 for Air New Zealand’s Economy Skynest bunk beds, with each individual space coming with a mattress and bedding, a privacy curtain, reading light and charging ports. Customers can book a space for four hours at a time on select new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flights starting in November, priced at $495 per session.
World’s best, and busiest, airports
Singapore’s Changi International Airport, with its indoor waterfall, rooftop swimming pool, 10-story retail complex and giant slide, was — for an incredible 14th time – named the best airport in the world last month by air transport rating organization Skytrax.
Tokyo Narita International took the Skytrax Award for Best Airport Staff, while across the city, Tokyo’s Haneda Airport took the award for the Cleanest Airport for 2026.
Haneda managed that impressive feat while also being the world’s third busiest airport, handling 91.7 million dirt-generating passengers in 2025, according to new figures from Airports Council International.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was once again the world’s busiest airport, dealing with 106.3 million passengers last year.
Airports were bustling around the world in 2025, making it the best year ever for the travel and tourism industry, according to new data this week from the World Travel & Tourism Council. Internationally, the sector grew 4.1% and contributed $11.6 trillion to the global economy.
Ice block falls from sky
A California man says a block of dirty ice crashed through his roof and fell right where he’d been sitting on his sofa moments before. The US Federal Aviation Administration is now investigating whether the ice fell from an aircraft.
In case you missed it
Pilots are using an emergency aviation frequency to meow at each other.
Some even like to woof. Here’s why.
US airlines have been hiking up baggage fees to offset fuel costs.
And Chinese carriers have started cancelling international flights.
A papal visit. A naval blockade. A million-dollar masterpiece.
What do you remember from the week that was?
A man was caught with 2,000 live ants in his luggage.
A Kenyan court sentenced the smuggler to 12 months in jail.
The-CNN-Wire
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