Simple Flying

Long Way Round: Qantas Airbus A350-1000ULR Flies East On Record-Breaking 24-Hour Test Odyssey

Reuters

Airbus A350 jet flies 24 hours nonstop from Australia to France

Benalla Ensign

Flight Global

A350-1000ULR range tested with transpacific return from Melbourne

News.com.au

Project Sunrise: First test flight between Europe and Australia for Qantas’ A350-1000ULR

77bncvbsdcg

TheIntelFrog

Airbus

Qantas

Instagram

Metaculus

Date of next Commercial Supersonic Flight

An Airbus A350-1000ULR completed a record-breaking test flight from Melbourne to Toulouse on July 28, covering 23,075 km in 24 hours and 24 minutes — surpassing the previous record of 22 hours and 42 minutes set by a Boeing 777-200LR in 2005.

An Airbus A350-1000ULR completed a record-breaking test flight from Melbourne to Toulouse on July 28, covering 23,075 km in 24 hours and 24 minutes — surpassing the previous record of 22 hours and 42 minutes set by a Boeing 777-200LR in 2005.

Flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 recorded more than 3.6 million users following the Melbourne-to-Toulouse flight, making it the second-most-tracked flight in the platform's history, behind a 2024 flight carrying Queen Elizabeth II's coffin.

Guardian

Flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 recorded more than 3.6 million users following the Melbourne-to-Toulouse flight, making it the second-most-tracked flight in the platform's history, behind a 2024 flight carrying Queen Elizabeth II's coffin.

The return test flight departed Melbourne at 5:27 PM local time on July 27, traveling northeast across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans before landing in Toulouse, with around 125,000 users tracking its final approach on Flightradar24.

The return test flight departed Melbourne at 5:27 PM local time on July 27, traveling northeast across the Pacific and Atlantic oceans before landing in Toulouse, with around 125,000 users tracking its final approach on Flightradar24.

The A350-1000ULR is fitted with an additional 20,000-litre rear fuel tank not found on standard A350-1000s, enabling it to fly commercially nonstop for up to 22 hours on routes such as Sydney to London and Sydney to New York.

The A350-1000ULR is fitted with an additional 20,000-litre rear fuel tank not found on standard A350-1000s, enabling it to fly commercially nonstop for up to 22 hours on routes such as Sydney to London and Sydney to New York.

Qantas has ordered 12 custom-built A350-1000ULR aircraft, with the first — named "Vega" — due for delivery in April 2027. The airline plans to begin daily nonstop Sydney-London flights in October 2027, with tickets going on sale in February 2027.

Qantas has ordered 12 custom-built A350-1000ULR aircraft, with the first — named "Vega" — due for delivery in April 2027. The airline plans to begin daily nonstop Sydney-London flights in October 2027, with tickets going on sale in February 2027.

Qantas first announced Project Sunrise in 2017 and placed its order for 12 A350-1000ULR aircraft in 2022. The initiative aims to reduce what was once a five-day journey on the "Kangaroo Route" to London into a single nonstop flight of 19 to 21 hours.

Qantas first announced Project Sunrise in 2017 and placed its order for 12 A350-1000ULR aircraft in 2022. The initiative aims to reduce what was once a five-day journey on the "Kangaroo Route" to London into a single nonstop flight of 19 to 21 hours.

Qantas plane flies for more than 24 hours in record-breaking flight

Qantas plane flies for more than 24 hours in record-breaking flight

Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters

Qantas plane flies for more than 24 hours in record-breaking flight

Qantas plane flies for more than 24 hours in record-breaking flight

Sign Up for Our Free NewslettersSign Up for Our Free Newsletters

Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters