TOLOUSE, France, June 17 (Reuters) - Australian airline Qantas announced on Wednesday that London will be the first destination for the world's longest non-stop commercial flight, which will take about 20 hours from Sydney and eliminate the traditional stop on the "Kangaroo Route".

Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson said during an event in Toulouse, France, that the airline plans to start selling tickets in February and launch flights in October 2027.

These flights are part of the "Project Sunrise" initiative launched by the company, which will later offer its services in New York City using modified Airbus (A.350-1000ULR) aircraft designed to fly for up to 22 hours with 238 passengers on board.

This announcement is part of a comprehensive fleet overhaul that began in 2017 when Qantas took on the challenge of Airbus and Boeing to develop aircraft capable of non-stop, long-haul flights from Australia.

The aim is to reduce the five-day journey on the Kangaroo Route to London to between 19 and 21 hours, depending on the route and wind direction. Qantas plans to use polar routes for about a quarter of the journey, particularly during the Northern Hemisphere winter. Currently, the journey takes between 24 and 25 hours via Singapore.

The project is a major gamble for Qantas, involving billions of dollars in investments in aircraft, cabin upgrades, and passenger health checks during long-haul flights.

To succeed, Qantas needs to convince travelers to pay extra to avoid layovers and reduce the inconvenience of long-haul flights.

"What they are selling is time, and they desperately need to get a higher price for all aircraft cabins, particularly business class and premium economy," said aviation analyst John Strickland.

Qantas named the project "Sunrise" after its two non-stop flights to sunrise during World War II.

The airline estimated the project would add more than AU$400 million (US$283 million) to its annual profits. Hudson explained in February that this estimate likely meant fares would be about 20 percent higher than standard one-stop fares in premium classes.

But analysts say that rising energy prices caused by the conflict in the Gulf have raised the profitability threshold.