The Airbus A350-1000ULR built for Qantas’ Project Sunrise has launched a long-haul test flight from Toulouse to Melbourne, a journey Airbus says will help certify the aircraft for what could become the world’s longest non-stop commercial routes.
The aircraft departed France on Thursday, July 23, 2026, on an ultra-long-range mission expected to take roughly 22 hours and test the jet’s performance on a sector designed to mirror the demands of future Project Sunrise services.
Interest in the flight surged almost immediately, with aviation enthusiasts and plane spotters closely tracking the aircraft as it crossed continents on one of the most closely watched test flights of the year.
Although the journey is attracting major attention, it is not the jet’s first time in the air. The newly built aircraft previously completed a successful 3-hour-and-43-minute test flight over France and the French Atlantic coastline on June 2.
Qantas first unveiled Project Sunrise in 2017 and has spent years developing the aircraft and cabin layout needed for direct ultra-long-haul services between Australia and the UK and US.
The plan centres on creating the first commercial non-stop links from Australia, particularly Sydney and Melbourne, straight to London and New York.
By removing the need for traditional stopovers, the project is designed to cut travel times significantly, with point-to-point flights expected to last as long as 22 hours while reducing total journey times by up to four hours.
Qantas currently says the first Project Sunrise commercial services will connect Sydney and London from October 2027, with tickets expected to go on sale in February 2027.
The airline’s first of 12 A350-1000ULR aircraft is due for delivery in April 2027, and Qantas has also said the type will be used to open up additional ultra-long-haul routes over time.
There is still ongoing discussion about when direct Melbourne to New York and Melbourne to London services might begin.
Back in 2022, Qantas placed an order with Airbus for 12 specially configured A350-1000ULR aircraft.
Airbus says the A350 Ultra Long Range is capable of flying as far as 9,700 nautical miles, or roughly 18,000 kilometres, without stopping. That range translates to as much as 22 hours in the air continuously.
Speaking to News.AU, Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson said:
“We’re going to be able to be announcing the routes progressively as the new aircraft come in over the next two and a half years.
“Demand can change. We know how demand can change, and we’re going to be responsive to that.”
Hudson did not give a timeline for the Melbourne to New York or Melbourne to London routes, saying only that those decisions would be considered after the Sydney services had proven commercially viable.
Qantas chief financial officer Rob Marcolina was also asked why Sydney was selected ahead of Melbourne as the first city for the rollout. He said the deciding factor was the “size of the market”.
“Either would have been a great choice, but one of them had to go first and I think we’re really comfortable with it coming out of Sydney.”
He also said the addition of these ultra-long-range aircraft would allow the airline to free up other jets, including the Boeing 787, opening the door to further routes such as Chicago, parts of South America, North America, and potentially Athens and destinations in Africa.