Airbus A350-1000-ULR Aircraft.
World’s longest range aircraft- Airbus A350-1000-ULR: TOULOUSE, France — Aviation history was made in the skies over southwestern France today as the Airbus A350-1000ULR successfully completed its maiden flight. The ultra-long-range twinjet, destined to spearhead Qantas Airways’ highly anticipated “Project Sunrise,” marks a monumental leap forward in commercial aviation, bringing the industry to the precipice of routine, non-stop flights between Sydney and London.
The aircraft, registered as MSN 707, took off from Airbus headquarters in Toulouse for a debut that lasted three hours and 43 minutes. Reaching a cruising altitude slightly above 41,000 feet, a dedicated Airbus Flight Test crew put the modified widebody through its paces, signaling the official start of an intensive two-month certification campaign.
Overcoming the Final Frontier
For decades, the tyranny of distance has isolated Australia from the major economic hubs of Europe and eastern North America, requiring grueling multi-stop itineraries. The A350-1000ULR is engineered specifically to shatter that barrier.
Once delivered, the aircraft will allow Qantas to connect Sydney and London—a staggering distance of almost 10,000 nautical miles—in a single, uninterrupted leap. With projected flight times pushing up to 22 hours, these routes will stand as the longest commercial flights in the world.
To achieve this unprecedented reach, Airbus engineers fundamentally altered the aircraft’s fuel architecture. The defining modification is the integration of an Additional Rear Centre Tank (RCT) directly into the aircraft’s structure. This engineering feat increases the jet’s operational range by an extra 1,000 nautical miles, providing the necessary safety margins and fuel capacity required for ultra-long-haul endurance.
During today’s flight, Experimental Test Pilots Thomas Wilhelm and Anthony Flynn, alongside Test Flight Engineer Laurent Rossignol, conducted rigorous general performance checks. Crucially, the crew began real-world validation of the new fuel system architecture. Assisting the cockpit crew were Lead Flight Test Engineers Tuan Do and Alexia Plumet, as well as Ground Test Engineer Vincent Frayssinet.
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Optimizing the Passenger Experience for 22 Hours aloft
Sustaining an aircraft in the air for nearly a day is only half the battle; sustaining the passengers inside is the other.
Beyond fuel tanks, the two-month flight test campaign will focus heavily on cabin environment technologies designed to mitigate the physical toll of spending 22 hours in a pressurized tube. Airbus will certify a newly developed galley air cooling system that utilizes lighter, highly efficient refrigeration units tailored for ultra-marathon routes.
Furthermore, engineers will thoroughly stress-test advanced ventilation and temperature control systems to ensure optimal humidity and air quality, which are critical elements in combating passenger fatigue and jet lag.
Following the completion of the flight test program, MSN 707 will return to the hangar to be retrofitted from its current state of heavy flight-test instrumentation to Qantas’ ultra-premium commercial specifications.
The Project Sunrise Timeline
While MSN 707 leads the certification charge, the second A350-1000ULR bound for Qantas is already nearing completion. Currently in the advanced stages of final assembly, it is scheduled to roll out of the paint shop in the coming days. From there, technicians will begin installing the engine pairs and outfitting the aircraft with Qantas’ specialized, spacious four-class cabin layout, designed with extra room to move during the day-long journeys.
This second aircraft is slated to be the first official delivery to the Australian flag carrier in April 2027. In total, Qantas has ordered 12 of the ULR variants for Project Sunrise, alongside 12 standard A350-1000s to bolster its broader long-haul network.
A Best-Selling Family Grows
The A350-1000ULR represents the fourth passenger variant of Airbus’ highly successful A350 twin-aisle family, joining the A350-900, the smaller A350-900ULR (currently operated by Singapore Airlines), and the baseline A350-1000.
Built largely with advanced carbon-composite materials, the A350 family has redefined long-haul economics by delivering a step-change reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions compared to previous-generation aircraft. The program’s commercial success is robust; by the end of April 2026, the A350 family had secured 1,579 orders from 68 global customers, with more than 700 aircraft currently active across 41 operators.
Airbus shows no signs of slowing down its widebody momentum. The passenger lineup is expected to be joined later this year by the maiden flight of the all-new A350F freighter, which is also currently under development.
But for now, the spotlight remains firmly on Toulouse and the A350-1000ULR. As MSN 707 begins its two-month sprint toward certification, the global aviation industry watches closely, witnessing the final steps toward a fully connected globe.
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