Airbus Completes Key Test for Qantas’ Direct Flight to Europe

Airbus has successfully conducted an extensive test flight lasting over 24 hours, marking an important milestone for Qantas as it works towards establishing a direct route between Australia and Europe.

The modified A350-1000ULR aircraft covered a distance of 14,338 miles, flying from Melbourne, Australia, to Toulouse, France, in 24 hours and 24 minutes, as reported by Flightradar24.

This flight is a significant part of Project Sunrise, an initiative Qantas launched back in 2017 aiming to create the longest non-stop commercial airline route in the world.

Airbus has been testing this aircraft as part of a two-month series of trials that kicked off in June. Interestingly, the flight distance exceeded a previous record set in 2005 by a Boeing 777-200LR that flew 13,422 miles from Hong Kong to London in 22 hours and 42 minutes.

Astonishingly, more than 3.6 million people followed this test flight on Flightradar24, making it the second most tracked flight ever recorded on the platform.

The A350-1000ULR comes with an added fuel tank that can hold around 20,000 liters (5,283 pounds) of fuel and has a seating capacity for 238 passengers. Qantas has ordered a total of 12 of these aircraft, with the first flights anticipated to commence in April 2027. Daily direct flights between Sydney and London are expected to kick off in October 2027.

Qantas has stated that each cabin is designed with luxury in mind, incorporating innovative materials to ensure maximum comfort for passengers on what will be the world’s longest commercial flight.

Depending on factors like wind and flight path, this journey is expected to take somewhere between 19 and 21 hours.