Airbus conducted a test flight showing how far the idea of non-stop passenger flights can go. The A350-1000ULR, prepared for Qantas, stayed in the air for more than 24 hours and covered about 23,000 kilometers — a new record for this type of flight.
The airliner took off from Melbourne and arrived in Toulouse, flying over the Pacific Ocean, North America and the Atlantic. During the journey, the crew saw two sunrises and two sunsets. But the record was only part of the test: the main goal was to prepare direct Qantas flights from Sydney to London and New York lasting about 19–21 hours.
To achieve this range, Airbus installed an additional 20,900-liter fuel tank and Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines. More than 3.6 million people followed the flight on Flightradar24. Commercial A350-1000ULR flights on the Sydney–London route are due to begin in 2027. If Qantas' project is implemented, Australia will get direct air links with Europe without transfers.
