These $70,000 flights to London sold out in two days

Almost a century after Qantas launched the so-called “kangaroo route” flights, a charter operator is recreating the 14-day, eight-stop trip to Europe.

Ayesha de Kretser and Max Mason-Hubers

Feb 4, 2026 – 12.00pm

Few words evoke the nostalgia for travel from a bygone era more than “kangaroo route”. The first journey by air from Australia to London in 1934 took 12 days, with 28 “hops” giving rise to the name.

By 1947, Qantas had streamlined the journey to just four days and 12 stops. And some eight decades after that, its Project Sunrise flights will soon make history when they begin flying non-stop in 22 hours.

Ayesha de Kretser is a senior reporter with The Australian Financial Review covering the aviation and tourism sectors. She has previously reported on banking, mining and commodity markets.