- An Airbus A350-1000ULR set a new endurance record with a twenty-four-hour flight from Melbourne to Toulouse.
- The mission successfully validated the rear fuel tank and cabin ventilation systems for Qantas’ Project Sunrise.
- Over three point six million people tracked the historic test flight online via the Flightradar24 platform.
An Airbus A350-1000ULR completed a 24-hour, 24-minute flight from Melbourne to Toulouse on Tuesday, July 28, setting a new endurance record for a commercial passenger aircraft test flight. The aircraft covered 23,075 kilometers (14,338 miles) with a small test team aboard, not a paying passenger cabin.
The flight formed part of Qantas’ Project Sunrise program, which is designed to launch nonstop Sydney-London service in October 2027. Qantas also plans to connect Sydney with New York.
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The aircraft landed in Toulouse after flying across three continents and two oceans. It beat the previous 22-hour, 42-minute record set in 2005 by a Boeing 777-200LR flying from Hong Kong to London.
The trip also attracted an unusually large online audience. Flightradar24 said more than 3.6 million people followed the aircraft, making it the second-most-tracked flight in the platform’s history.
Airbus and Qantas used the mission to examine the aircraft’s long-range fuel system and cabin environment. It was a development flight test, not a final certification flight.
The rear fuel tank was filled for the longest systems test yet
The aircraft, Airbus’ Manufacturer Serial Number MSN 707, carries an additional Rear Centre Tank, or RCT, holding 20,000 to 20,900 liters of fuel. The modification extends the aircraft’s range by 1,000 nautical miles.
Xavier Pepin, the Airbus test pilot who captained the record flight, said the team used the mission to complete remaining test points after earlier work on the tank.
“Whilst we have already demonstrated much of the RCT's functionality earlier in the flight test campaign, we finalised some remaining test points in these long range flights. So we filled this tank to validate all necessary parameters during the mission, making this, along with cabin comfort, the primary focus of our testing.”
The test aircraft is the first of 12 A350-1000ULRs ordered by Qantas. Its first test flight took place in Toulouse on June 2, 2026, and lasted 3 hours and 43 minutes.
Airbus test flight engineer Laurent Rossignol described the work as more demanding when performed on a production aircraft.
“Flight testing a production aircraft adds a layer of extra pressure. You are sitting inside the [aircraft] capturing vital statistics such as fuel flow, pressure, temperature, and ventilation.”
Pilot rotations were built around four-hour shifts
The flight team used four-hour pilot shifts with a two-hour rotation overlap. That arrangement was intended to support handovers and reduce fatigue during a journey longer than a full day.
Alex Passerini, Qantas Group Chief Technical Pilot, said fatigue remained an unavoidable part of the test.
“Everyone's going to get tired.”
Passerini also said the return flight tested systems ranging from “fuel transfer to air conditioning.” The aircraft was operated by a combined Airbus testing and Qantas pilot team.
Thomas Wilhelm and Anthony Flynn served as experimental test pilots. Tuan Do and Alexia Plumet were the lead flight test engineers, while Vincent Frayssinet worked as the ground test engineer. Vincent Sibelle commanded the Toulouse-to-Melbourne outbound leg.
Qantas plans a low-density cabin for commercial service
Qantas plans to configure its Project Sunrise aircraft with 238 seats, the lowest-density arrangement available for an A350. The cabin will include a Wellbeing Zone between Premium Economy and Economy.
That area is planned to feature sculpted wall panels, integrated stretch handles and a hydration station. The design is intended to encourage passengers to move during the longest scheduled flights.
The commercial aircraft will not simply replicate the test setup. The Melbourne-to-Toulouse mission carried a small test team, while the planned services will carry passengers on regular international routes.
| Test-flight detail | Result |
|---|---|
| Route | Melbourne to Toulouse |
| Flight date | Tuesday, July 28, 2026 |
| Flight time | 24 hours and 24 minutes |
| Distance | 23,075 kilometers (14,338 miles) |
| Aircraft | Airbus A350-1000ULR, MSN 707 |
| Tracking audience | More than 3.6 million people |
The first Qantas aircraft is scheduled for delivery in April 2027
Qantas expects to begin daily Sydney-London flights in October 2027. The first Project Sunrise aircraft, named Vega, is scheduled for delivery in April 2027.
The program takes its name from the double-sunrise flights operated by Qantas during World War II. The planned routes would extend the airline’s direct network from Australia’s east coast to Europe and North America without an intermediate stop.
The Toulouse test was therefore aimed at more than distance. It validated the newly integrated fuel-system architecture and cabin ventilation while the crew monitored the aircraft through a full day in the air.
Certification work still lies ahead. The completed flight gives Airbus and Qantas a record-setting test result as they prepare the 12-aircraft fleet for passenger operations in October 2027.
