The world’s longest flight is put to the test
The test flight carried four Airbus pilots and five engineers as the specially modified jet proved it can stay airborne for nearly 20 hours.
- On Friday, the A350-1000ULR touched down in Melbourne after Airbus completed the inaugural non-stop test flight from Toulouse, France, lasting more than 19 hours.
- Designed for the Project Sunrise initiative, the A350-1000ULR features a 20,000-liter extra fuel tank, enabling non-stop endurance of up to 22 hours to connect Australia with global destinations.
- Qantas configured the jet with only 238 seats, the "lowest seat density of any A350," and included a dedicated Wellbeing Zone for passenger comfort during ultra-long-haul travel.
- Following initial testing, the first of 12 bespoke aircraft is due for delivery in April 2027, with Qantas scheduled to launch commercial Project Sunrise flights in October 2027.
- These services aim to cut travel times on the "Kangaroo Route" to London, positioning the Australian airline to operate the world's longest non-stop commercial flights by late 2027.
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73 Articles
The world’s longest flight is put to the test
By Maureen O’Hare, CNN (CNN) — In travel news this week: the world’s most powerful passports, how edible ants got a chef in trouble, plus a new milestone in ultra-long-haul air travel. Project Sunrise Having a nice relaxing weekend? Spare a thought for the weary new Airbus A350-1000ULR, which is cooling its jets in Melbourne
An Airbus A350-1000ULR traveled from France to Australia on a 19-hour flight, an ultra-long distance test from the Qantas company. It added a lot of people tracking the route, becoming the most seen flight in a day
Planned by the Australian company Qantas for 2027, the longest flight in the world will be carried out on board an A350-1000ULR. First stage of this vast project: a test flight from Toulouse on 23 July, without stopovers, which went smoothly.
The Airbus A350-1000ULR travelled nearly 16,900 kilometres in just over 19 hours this Friday 24 July. A decisive step before the delivery of the first aircraft to Qantas in 2027 to launch the future...
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