Airbus completes 24-hour non-stop flight from Australia to France

Airbus has completed a significant test flight for its A350-1000ULR aircraft, a jet designed for ultra-long-haul routes. The specially equipped plane flew for 24 hours and 24 minutes, covering 23,075 kilometers non-stop from Melbourne, Australia, to Toulouse, France. This flight is a crucial step for Qantas's "Project Sunrise," which aims to introduce the world's longest commercial passenger flights and redefine long-distance travel by eliminating layovers between Australia and Europe.

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Airbus has completed a more than 24-hour test flight: A special A350 jet, developed for particularly long scheduled flights, landed in France on Tuesday after taking off in Melbourne, Australia.

The A350-1000ULR, featuring an additional fuel tank, is slated for service starting in 2027. Qantas has ordered twelve of these modified aircraft, which will connect Australia's east coast with London and New York in approximately 20 hours. This development promises to drastically shorten the journey on the historic "Kangaroo Route" to London, reducing a once five-day trip to a single flight of 19 to 21 hours, depending on flight paths and wind conditions.

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The test is an important milestone in the 'Project Sunrise' of the Australian airline Qantas.

The first aircraft, capable of carrying an extra 20,000 liters of fuel and accommodating 238 passengers, is scheduled for delivery in April 2027. Qantas anticipates launching daily non-stop flights between Sydney and London by October 2027. The test flight garnered significant public attention, with Flightradar24 reporting that 3.6 million people tracked the journey on its platform, making it the second most-followed flight in the service's history.

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The specially converted A350-1000ULR aircraft is scheduled to be used on the non-stop Sydney-London route from 2027.