Airbus jet completes record 24-hour flight in preparation for Qantas Project Sunrise

Qantas has ordered 12 modified A350-1000ULR aircraft, designed to connect Australia's east coast with London and New York in about 20 hours.

A Qantas A350-1000ULR arrives at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport on July 24, 2026 after a 19 hour and 13 minutes delivery flight from the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France.

(photo credit: William WEST / AFP via Getty Images)

ByREUTERS

JULY 29, 2026 16:09

Updated: JULY 29, 2026 17:14

Airbus has finished a lengthy test flight exceeding 24 hours. This caused a spike in online monitoring as an A350 plane intended for groundbreaking commercial routes landed in France following its departure from Melbourne on Tuesday.

This test represents an important milestone in Qantas' Project Sunrise initiative. The project seeks to introduce the longest commercial passenger flights globally and transform long-distance travel by removing layovers on journeys between Australia and Europe.

The customized A350-1000ULR aircraft is set to begin operations on Qantas' nonstop Sydney to London service starting in 2027. Airbus has run a two-month testing program on the plane since June.

Airbus reported that the aircraft, equipped with an additional fuel tank, stayed airborne for 24 hours and 24 minutes. It traveled 23,075 km (14,338 miles) continuously before arriving at the manufacturing site in Toulouse, France.

Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 noted that this journey ranked as the second-most followed flight on its platform, surpassed only by a 2024 flight that transported Queen Elizabeth II's coffin. Over 3.6 million individuals tracked its northward path through Canada.

Back in 2005, a Boeing 777-200LR Worldliner covered 21,601.7 km (13,422 miles) from Hong Kong to London over 22 hours and 42 minutes.

12 aircraft ordered by Qantas for Project Sunrise

Qantas has ordered 12 modified A350-1000ULR aircraft, designed to connect Australia's east coast with London and New York in about 20 hours. The services aim to turn what was once a five-day journey on the "Kangaroo Route" to London into a single flight lasting 19 to 21 hours, depending on routing and winds.

The first aircraft, which carries 20,000 additional liters of fuel and can seat 238 passengers, is due for delivery in April 2027. Qantas expects to operate daily nonstop flights between Sydney and London from October 2027.