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3w ago

Airbus A350-1000ULR Completes 24‑Hour Melbourne–Toulouse Nonstop and Sets New Commercial Distance Record

The certification endurance flight advances the ULR variant toward Qantas’s Project Sunrise and moves the program closer to nonstop Australia‑to‑Europe and U.S. services pending regulatory approval.

Primer vuelo del Qantas A350-1000ULR
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| A350 recorre 23 mil kilómetros sin escalas.
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Overview

  • The test aircraft F‑WULR completed a nonstop flight from Melbourne to Toulouse that landed on Tuesday after roughly 24 hours in the air, establishing a new benchmark for commercial flight duration and distance.
  • Published timing and distance figures vary slightly across trackers and reports with the flight logged at about 24 hours 23–24 minutes and roughly 12,460 nautical miles (≈23,076 km).
  • Airbus built the ULR by adding a roughly 20,000‑liter rear fuel tank and structural reinforcements to support higher takeoff weight, and it offers a four‑class layout for up to 238 passengers.
  • The flight is part of certification trials conducted with Qantas under Project Sunrise; Qantas has ordered 12 A350‑1000ULRs and expects first delivery in April 2027, subject to no setbacks and to final regulatory approvals.
  • The test drew huge public attention, with flight‑tracking platforms reporting millions of real‑time viewers, and it could enable direct Australia‑to‑London and Australia‑to‑New York services if certification, crew planning and operational approvals are completed.