TOULOUSE, France (Reuters) - Australia's Qantas will start Project Sunrise ultra-long-haul flights in early 2027 after receiving the first of 12 dedicated Airbus A350-1000 aircraft at the end of next year, Chief Executive Vanessa Hudson said on Tuesday.

The Qantas boss also told reporters that Friday's fire and closure of London's Heathrow airport had forced the carrier to divert two flights to Paris and then bus passengers to London, adding such event can be "incredibly costly" to the industry.