Qantas has completed what is believed to be the longest commercial aircraft flight ever recorded, with its specially modified Airbus A350-1000ULR touching down in Toulouse after a marathon 24-hour and 24-minute journey from Melbourne.
The record-setting test flight captured global attention, with millions of aviation enthusiasts tracking the aircraft as it crossed the Pacific and Atlantic oceans without a single fuel stop.
The flight is part of Qantas’ ambitious Project Sunrise program, which aims to introduce nonstop flights connecting Australia’s east coast with major international destinations including London and New York.
Airbus said the aircraft remained airborne for 24 hours and 24 minutes, travelling 23,075 kilometres (14,338 miles) before landing at the company’s manufacturing facility in Toulouse, south-west France.
The aircraft’s extended range comes from a specially engineered design featuring an additional fuel tank, allowing it to carry around 20,000 extra litres of fuel compared with standard versions of the A350-1000.
The latest test flight is believed to have broken the previous commercial aviation endurance record, surpassing a 22-hour and 42-minute Boeing 777-200LR flight between Hong Kong and London via the Pacific in 2005.
Airbus has been conducting a two-month test campaign on the aircraft since June, with the program designed to validate performance, fuel efficiency and passenger conditions ahead of its entry into service.
Last week, the aircraft completed another long-distance test flight from Toulouse to Melbourne via the Indian Ocean, taking just over 19 hours.
Flight-tracking provider Flightradar24 said the record attempt became the second-most-tracked flight in its history, attracting more than 3.6 million followers as people watched the aircraft travel northwards over Canada.
The only flight to attract more attention was the 2022 journey carrying Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin.
Qantas has ordered 12 modified A350-1000ULR aircraft for Project Sunrise, with the planes designed to operate direct flights from Sydney to London and New York in around 20 hours.
The airline says the new services will transform international travel by replacing the traditional “Kangaroo Route”, which historically required multiple stops and could take several days, with a single nonstop journey lasting between 19 and 21 hours depending on weather conditions and flight paths.
The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in April 2027 and will carry 238 passengers.
Qantas expects to begin daily nonstop Sydney-London services from October 2027, marking one of the biggest changes to long-haul aviation since commercial ultra-long-range flights began.
Over the course of the test program, passengers and pilots were monitored during flights exceeding 20 hours, with assessments covering cabin conditions, rest arrangements, fatigue management and the operational performance required for nonstop Australia–London and New York services.
