Airbus A350-1000ULR test flight tops 24 hours from Australia to France
Airbus flew the A350-1000ULR from Melbourne to Toulouse in 24 hours and 25 minutes as Qantas prepares Project Sunrise routes.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
An Airbus A350-1000ULR test flight flew nonstop from Melbourne, Australia, to Toulouse, France, in 24 hours and 25 minutes, a key trial for Qantas Airways’ planned ultra-long commercial routes. Airbus said the return leg covered 12,460 nautical miles, showing the range needed for Qantas flights from Sydney to New York or London.
The aircraft left Melbourne on July 27 and landed in Toulouse on July 28, according to Airbus and Flightradar24. The flight-tracking service showed the route crossing the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and North America.
The Melbourne-to-France trip followed an outbound development flight from Toulouse to Melbourne. Airbus said that flight departed July 23 and arrived July 24 after 19 hours and 13 minutes in the air.
What is the Airbus A350-1000ULR?
The A350-1000ULR is a long-range version of Airbus’s A350-1000 built for Qantas’ Project Sunrise plan. Airbus says the aircraft adds a rear center fuel tank that can hold 20,900 liters, or 5,521 gallons, extending range by 1,000 nautical miles.
Qantas has ordered 12 of the aircraft for nonstop service from Sydney to New York and London, according to the airline. Qantas says it aims to begin selling tickets for Project Sunrise routes in 2027.
Airbus said the extra range is meant to cover routes approaching 10,000 nautical miles. Qantas expects the longest Project Sunrise commercial flights to take up to 21 hours and 40 minutes, which would put them beyond today’s scheduled nonstop passenger services.
How pilots handled the 24-hour flight
Airbus said the outbound flight carried four Airbus pilots and five flight-test engineers, who monitored aircraft systems from the cockpit and cabin work stations. On the return flight, Airbus said two Qantas pilots joined three Airbus pilots and five flight-test engineers.
Xavier Pepin, the Airbus test pilot who captained the return leg, said in an Airbus post that crews used four-hour pilot shifts and rotated every two hours to manage fatigue. He said the overlap meant an incoming pilot shared two hours in the cockpit with the pilot leaving duty.
Pepin also said Qantas pilots took the controls at assigned times during the mission. According to Airbus, the Qantas pilots were already qualified on the A350 and used the flight for their first experience with the -1000ULR variant.
Airbus says the aircraft includes a twin flight crew rest compartment designed so pilots can enter or leave rest areas without disturbing each other. Multiple pilots are required for flights of this length.
How Qantas plans to use the aircraft
Qantas says its commercial A350-1000ULR cabins will carry up to 238 passengers. The airline describes that layout as the lowest seat density of any A350-1000 in service, with space set aside for self-serve food and drink stations and a wellbeing zone where passengers can stretch.
Singapore Airlines currently operates the longest nonstop scheduled commercial flights, linking Singapore and New York, and Guinness World Records lists that service as the longest-duration nonstop scheduled flight. Those flights usually take 18 to 19 hours and use the Airbus A350-900ULR, according to the cited records.
The test aircraft also drew heavy public interest. Flightradar24 said more than 3.6 million people tracked the Melbourne-to-Toulouse return, making it the service’s second-most-tracked flight after the 2022 Royal Air Force flight carrying Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin.
Qantas has not announced fares for Project Sunrise. The airline says more than 40% of seats will be in First, Business and Premium Economy, a cabin mix that points to a premium service built around nonstop travel on routes that currently require a stop.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.