Qantas' first Airbus A350 sets record with 24-hour nonstop test flight from Melbourne to Toulouse
Airbus has completed a marathon nonstop test flight of Qantas’ first Airbus A350-1000ULR, flying the aircraft from Melbourne to Toulouse in more than 24 hours as part of the airline’s ambitious Project Sunrise programme.
According to AeroTime, the aircraft landed in Toulouse on July 28 after a trans-Pacific route that took it over the US and Canada. Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the journey lasted 24 hours and 23 minutes, making it the longest flight ever completed by a commercial aircraft during testing and surpassing the previous record of 22 hours and 42 minutes, set by a Boeing 777-200LR in 2005.
The aircraft, currently registered F-WULR, departed Melbourne at 5:27 pm local time on July 27 and landed back at Airbus’ headquarters in Toulouse at around 9:52 am local time the following day. Before touching down, it carried out a brief go-around, drawing the attention of more than 120,000 people tracking the flight live on Flightradar24, AeroTime reported.
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Part of Project Sunrise
The return journey followed an earlier nonstop test flight from Toulouse to Melbourne, which took just over 19 hours. Simple Flying reported that the outbound flight became the world’s most-tracked flight that day and was part of a wider flight-test programme being carried out by Airbus ahead of the aircraft’s delivery.
The two flights form part of preparations for Project Sunrise, Qantas’ plan to operate some of the world’s longest nonstop commercial routes, connecting Australia directly with destinations including London and New York.
The A350-1000ULR being tested is the first of 12 aircraft ordered by the Australian carrier. While it currently carries Airbus’ French test registration, it is expected to be delivered to Qantas in April 2027 before entering commercial service under an Australian registration.
According to Simple Flying, the aircraft has been specially configured for ultra-long-haul operations and will have just 238 seats, six first-class suites, 52 business-class seats, 40 premium economy seats and 140 economy seats. The low-density cabin is intended to provide passengers with more space on flights expected to last more than 20 hours.
Qantas has also spent nearly a decade researching how ultra-long-haul travel affects passengers. AeroTime reported that the airline has collaborated with the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre, design firm Caon Design Office and other technology partners to develop a cabin designed to reduce fatigue and help travellers arrive feeling more refreshed.
Qantas plans to begin selling tickets for its first nonstop Sydney-London flights in early 2027, with commercial operations expected to begin after the first A350-1000ULR joins the airline’s fleet later that year, the report added.