Airbus A350-1000 goes from summer to winter in epic non-stop test flight
The first Airbus A350-1000ULR built for Qantas’ Project Sunrise is flying non-stop from the height of the European summer to the middle of the Australian winter.
Airbus celebrated the departure of the flight in a social media post showing the aircraft departing Toulouse, France, and arriving in Melbourne after an almost 19-hour journey, going “from summer to winter” in a single flight.
From summer to winter in a single hop!
— Airbus (@Airbus) July 23, 2026
As part of our flight test campaign, our test crew is taking the #A350-1000ULR from Toulouse to Melbourne NON STOP for the first time.
Follow this major milestone live on @FlightRadar24! https://t.co/J5nObjN1n3
Next stop: Australia!… pic.twitter.com/QrAvgBMos4
The aircraft, which can currently be tracked on Flightradar24, will cross multiple climate zones and hemispheres on its long-range test mission to Melbourne.
The flight marks the first journey from Europe to Australia by the specially modified A350-1000ULR and forms part of the certification programme ahead of delivery to Qantas in 2027.
Preparing for the world’s longest scheduled flights
The A350, serial number (MSN) 707, is the first of 12 Airbus A350-1000ULRs Qantas has ordered for its long-awaited Project Sunrise ultra-long haul programme.
The customised aircraft is designed to operate non-stop flights of up to 22 hours, enabling services such as Sydney-London and Sydney-New York without intermediate stops. Airbus says the A350-1000ULR will become the world’s longest-range commercial airliner when it enters service.
Qantas plans to launch Sydney-London as the first Project Sunrise route in October 2027, with Sydney-New York expected to follow shortly afterwards. Deliveries of the first aircraft are scheduled to begin in April 2027, following prolonged delays.
More than just an endurance test
The Toulouse-Melbourne flight will enable Airbus engineers to analyse data gathered throughout the mission to validate aircraft systems, fuel performance and handling over an ultra-long-haul sector.
The aircraft has already completed its maiden flight over France in June and is undergoing an extensive flight-test campaign ahead of certification.
The A350-1000ULR was engineered specifically to meet the challenges of ultra-long-haul flights for Project Sunrise, with additional fuel capacity in a dedicated 20,000-litre rear centre fuel tank. The additional fuel supply extends the aircraft’s range to approximately 10,000 nautical miles (18,520 kilometres), which makes the A350-1000ULR the longest-range commercial airliner built to date.
Once certified, the aircraft will allow airlines to connect city pairs that have previously been beyond the reach of non-stop commercial services. Airbus says the A350-1000ULR can offer this extended range with around 25% lower fuel burn than previous-generation aircraft in its class.
Designed for passenger wellbeing
Qantas’ Project Sunrise has also focused heavily on passenger comfort during flights lasting nearly a day.
During a series of early test flights, the airline worked with sleep scientists to study the impact of prolonged flights on passenger wellness. It developed suitable lighting programmes, meal timing and cabin configurations—including a dedicated wellbeing zone—to help reduce jet lag on the record-setting flights.
Around 20% of Sydney-London services are also expected to use a north polar routing during the Northern Hemisphere winter to optimise journey times.
The latest Toulouse-to-Melbourne mission brings the aircraft one step closer to entering commercial service, where it is expected to redefine non-stop long-haul travel.
