Soon the world's most remote cities will be reachable on a single flight, with no connections at all. Airbus has successfully tested a new airliner built for ultra long haul journeys. The A350-1000ULR took off from Melbourne, Australia, and landed in Toulouse, France, covering more than 23,000 kilometers. Along the way the pilots saw two sunrises and two sunsets.
More than a day in the sky
The flight was a key stage of Project Sunrise, which Australian airline Qantas launched 10 years ago. Under the plan, the carrier wants direct flights from Sydney to London and New York. The ultra long haul A350-1000 stayed aloft for 24 hours and 24 minutes. In that time it covered 23,000 kilometers. The widebody deliberately flew the «wrong way», across the Pacific, over the United States and Canada, across the Atlantic, into the United Kingdom, and finally into Toulouse.
The shorter westbound route from Toulouse to the same Melbourne takes only 19 hours and 12 minutes.
If the FAI (Fédération Aéronautique Internationale) confirms the results, Airbus will set a new world record for range and flight duration among commercial aircraft.
Until now the record belonged to the Boeing 777-200LR. In 2005 that jet covered about 21,600 kilometers in 22 hours and 42 minutes on a ferry flight. The new Airbus beat that mark on both distance and time in the air.
The A350-1000ULR is a special version of the widebody Airbus A350-1000, developed for Australian airline Qantas. The main difference in the new variant is a larger fuel capacity.
Engineers fitted an extra tank holding about 20,000 liters. That raised maximum range to roughly 18,500 kilometers, enough for the world's longest nonstop passenger routes. It is the aircraft Qantas plans to use for direct flights between Australia, Europe, and North America.
Fewer passengers, more comfort
Despite its size, the new jet is configured for only 238 passengers. By comparison, a standard Airbus A350-1000 can carry around 350 people. The choice was deliberate. A lighter passenger load allows more fuel on board and a roomier cabin at the same time.
The cabin will have four classes of service, fully enclosed first class suites, larger rest areas, and a dedicated space where passengers can stretch during a long flight.
This flight is part of a two month test program for the new aircraft. In earlier trials Airbus filled the cabin with hundreds of heated mannequins standing in for passengers and mounted more than a thousand sensors across the fuselage.
They collect data on the fuel system, ventilation, temperature, and structural loads. After testing wraps up, the aircraft will be finished to Qantas requirements and handed over to the airline.
The first Airbus A350-1000ULR should reach the carrier in spring 2027. Ticket sales for direct Sydney to London flights begin in February, and the route is scheduled to launch that October.
