Airbus has officially announced a new world record for non-stop flight range among commercial airliners. The record was set by an Airbus A350-1000ULR, with the achievement confirmed by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) and the flight tracking service Flightradar24. The manufacturer also revealed details of the record-breaking flight, which was a key stage in preparing ultra-long-haul routes for the Australian airline Qantas.
Record-breaking flight: route and timeline
The aircraft, call sign AIB35LR, departed Melbourne on July 27 at 17:27 local time and landed in Toulouse on July 28 at 09:51. Thus, the machine spent nearly a full day in the air, covering, according to the source, approximately 23,155 kilometers. The route spanned the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic: during the flight, the airliner crossed three continents and two oceans, and the crew, according to the manufacturer, observed two sunsets and two sunrises.
Who was on board and why the test was conducted
The flight was carried out as part of the A350-1000ULR test program for the Qantas "Project Sunrise." There were 13 people on board: three Airbus test pilots, two Qantas pilots, five test engineers, two design engineers, and a representative of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. One of the program's requirements was to perform a 23-hour flight, measured from the moment the aircraft pushed back from the gate until it came to a full stop after landing. The test confirmed the airliner's capability to perform ultra-long-haul flights without a stopover.
How the airliner was transformed into an ultra-long-range version: technical solution
The A350-1000ULR version differs from the standard A350-1000 by the presence of an additional central fuel tank located in the rear of the fuselage. According to Airbus, this component adds about 1,000 nautical miles (approximately 1,852 km) to the potential flight range, which allows for servicing the longest commercial routes without stopovers.
What this means for Qantas: Sydney to London and New York
The A350-1000ULR is exactly what will allow Qantas to launch non-stop flights from Sydney to London and New York for the first time. The distance on these routes approaches 10,000 nautical miles (about 18,520 km), and travel time can reach 22 hours. The record-breaking Melbourne–Toulouse flight effectively demonstrated that the claimed parameters are achievable under real operating conditions.
Orders and timelines: when will passengers take their seats?
Qantas has ordered 12 A350-1000ULR aircraft; delivery of the first plane is expected in April 2027, and the start of commercial operations on the Sydney–London route is scheduled for the end of that same year. In addition, the carrier has ordered another 12 standard A350-1000s for its long-haul network, which together form the basis of the company's long-haul fleet modernization.
