Report copyright by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA Images : Airbus
Qantas plans to launch non-stop flights from Sydney to London starting in October 2027, followed by non-stop service from Sydney to New York in mid-2028 with its newly-acquired A350-1000ULR jet. The Qantas A350-1000ULR will feature a four-class cabin configuration with a total of 238 seats.
Qantas has ordered 12 A350-1000ULR aircraft, and Airbus has indicated that the first unit is expected to be delivered to the airline in April 2027.
On 9 November 2026, Airbus announced that the A350-1000ULR—an ultra-long-range variant developed for Qantas’s "Project Sunrise"—has officially set a Guinness World Record for the longest commercial flight by distance. During a research and development test flight in late July, the aircraft remained airborne for 24 hours and 24 minutes, covering a total distance of 12,503 nautical miles (approximately 23,155 kilometers).
This achievement has been independently verified by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) and Flightradar24.
The test aircraft, registered as MSN707 and operating under the call sign AIB35LR, departed from Melbourne, Australia, at 5.27 pm local time on 27 July 2026 and landed in Toulouse, France, at 9.51 am the following day.
Rather than following the conventional "Kangaroo Route" to Europe, the flight path took the aircraft northeast across the Pacific Ocean, passing near Los Angeles, traversing the North American continent, crossing the Atlantic Ocean, and finally flying south over the United Kingdom to reach Toulouse. Throughout the journey, the crew crossed three continents and two oceans, witnessing two sunrises and two sunsets.
This record-breaking flight was part of the research and development testing program for the A350-1000ULR. The 13 people on board included three Airbus test pilots, two Qantas pilots, five Airbus flight test engineers, two design engineers, and a representative from the FAI.
The primary objective of the test flight was to verify the aircraft's capability to complete a 23-hour "block time" operation—defined as the total duration from the release of the parking brakes before takeoff to their engagement after landing. This metric accounts for the approximately 21 hours and 40 minutes of flight time required for Qantas’s planned ultra-long-haul routes, as well as additional time for taxiing, holding patterns, and potential diversions. The A350-1000ULR is an ultra-long-range variant developed by Airbus specifically for Qantas’s "Project Sunrise," with the goal of making non-stop flights from Sydney to London and New York a reality. The planned range is nearly 10,000 nautical miles, with a maximum flight duration of approximately 22 hours.
