In a record-beating journey from Melbourne to France, Airbus’ A350 completed a marathon test flight of an A350 jet. The test campaign, which lasted more than 24 hours, rewrote the rulebook of commercial aviation in terms of pushing the durability of the jet and its flight crew.
The test marks a key step in Qantas Airways’ “Project Sunrise,” which aims to launch the world’s longest commercial passenger services and reshape long-haul travel by eliminating stopovers between Australia and Europe.
During the campaign, Airbus also beat the Boeing’s 2005 record, in which the American aviation giant’s 777-200LR Worldliner flew 21,601.7 km (13,422 miles) from Hong Kong to London in 22 hours and 42 minutes.
The specially adapted A350-1000ULR airliner is due to debut with the Australian carrier’s nonstop Sydney-London route from 2027. Airbus is currently conducting a two-month test campaign on the aircraft.
Qantas has ordered 12 such customised versions of the A350 jet that will connect Australia’s east coast with London and New York in about 20 hours. The services aim to turn what was once a five-day journey on the “Kangaroo Route” to London into a single flight lasting 19 to 21 hours.
The first aircraft, which carries 20,000 liters of fuel and can seat 238 passengers, is due for delivery in April 2027. Qantas expects to operate daily nonstop flights between Sydney and London from October 2027.
The first of the production lot, codenamed MSN 707, completed its initial flight campaigns in France’s Toulouse in June. On June 2, during one such test flight, the aircraft, fitted with special flight test instrumentation, flew for three hours and 43 minutes, reaching an altitude of slightly above 41,000 feet.
“The A350-1000ULR is being developed for Qantas Airways to enable hours andtop minutes, between Sydney and New York and London for the first time ever, a distance of almost 10,000 nautical miles, with flight times of up to 22 hours. This has been made possible primarily by the integration into the aircraft structure of an additional rear center tank (RCT), enhancing further the aircraft performance and increasing the range of the aircraft by 1,000 nautical miles,” Airbus said after the first test flight of the aircraft, that happened a month back.
The new aircraft includes a specially designed extra fuel tank that enables it to remain airborne for 24 hours and 24 minutes, covering a distance of 23,075 kilometers (14,338 miles) on a nonstop basis.
Flight-tracking provider Flightradar24 said the trip was the second-most-tracked flight ever on its channels, behind a 2024 flight carrying the Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin. More than 3.6 million people followed the A350’s progress northwards via Canada.
Airbus’ test crew have already carried out general aircraft performance checks, apart from validating the new fuel system architecture. The current campaign will also certify the aircraft’s new galley air cooling system, which possesses lighter and more efficient refrigeration units for very long flights. The ventilation and temperature control of the cabin will also be thoroughly tested.
“MSN 707 will be retrofitted to Qantas’ commercial specifications upon the completion of the testing and certification flights,” Airbus said.
“The A350-1000ULR is the fourth passenger variant of the best-selling A350 Family, joining the A350-900, A350-900ULR and the A350-1000. Together, the aircraft have set new standards in long-haul air travel, with a step-change reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions and new levels of passenger comfort,” it added further.
While the A350 Family has secured 1,579 orders from 68 customers (emissions and April 2026), over 700 aircraft are already flying with 41 operators, primarily on long-haul services across the globe.
Apart from the “Project Sunrise,” Qantas has also ordered 12 standard A350-1000s for future operations across its long-haul network.
Image Credit: Airbus