The aircraft that Qantas intends to fly nonstop from Sydney to London and New York is now deep into flight testing. Airbus confirmed this week that the first A350-1000ULR, the ultra-long-range version built for the airline’s Project Sunrise routes, will make a roughly 22-hour test flight from its Toulouse assembly line to Melbourne, scheduled to land on July 24, 2026. The aircraft, serial number MSN 707 and wearing the test registration F-WULR, first flew on June 2, 2026.
What Airbus confirmed
According to Airbus, the certification campaign runs for roughly 80 flight hours over about two months, working toward European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval. The planned Toulouse to Melbourne mission, covering around 17,000 kilometers, is one of the longest single sorties in the program and accounts for close to a quarter of those required test hours in one flight.
To gather data, Airbus fitted the jet with more than 1,000 purpose-built sensors and about five tonnes of flight-test instrumentation. “Flight testing a production aircraft adds a layer of extra pressure,” Airbus test flight engineer Laurent Rossignol said of working on an airframe destined for a customer rather than a dedicated prototype.
Qantas has ordered 12 of the modified aircraft. The airline plans to begin its first commercial Project Sunrise service, Sydney to London Heathrow, in October 2027, with tickets going on sale in February 2027. Those dates, and the July 24 test flight itself, remain forward plans that can shift as testing progresses.
Provisional, not settled
This aircraft is still in certification. The July 24 arrival, the two-month test schedule, and the October 2027 launch of commercial service are targets Airbus and Qantas have stated, not completed milestones. Flight-test programs routinely move as data comes in.
Why this A350 is different
The ULR (ultra-long-range) designation comes down to fuel and weight. The standard A350-1000 already has long legs, but Project Sunrise routes are longer than any scheduled passenger service flown today, so Airbus added a 20,000-litre rear centre fuel tank, a modified fuel system, and structural reinforcement to carry the higher takeoff weight.
The extra tank is the single change that turns a very-long-range jet into one Airbus says can cover the roughly 17,000 kilometers between Sydney and London nonstop. If you have ever wondered where an airliner keeps all that fuel, our explainer on how much fuel aircraft use covers the basics. The aircraft is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, the only engine offered on the A350-1000.
Carrying fuel for 20-plus hours has a cost: payload. Qantas will fit its aircraft with just 238 seats across four cabins, six First suites, 52 Business suites, 40 Premium Economy and 140 Economy, which the airline says is the lowest seat density of any A350-1000 in service.
The cabin also includes a dedicated Wellbeing Zone between Premium Economy and Economy, with a hydration station and a guided movement program aimed at the health effects of very long flights, the kind of discomfort behind questions like why feet swell on airplanes. Fewer seats over a longer distance is the trade at the heart of ultra-long-haul flying, a category we cover in our roundup of the longest flights in the world.
What Project Sunrise means
Project Sunrise is the Qantas plan to fly nonstop from Australia’s east coast to London and New York, the two long-haul markets that today require a stop. Removing the connection is projected to cut up to four hours off the journey.
Here is how the program has progressed and where it is headed:
Late 2025
First ULR airframe assembled. MSN 707 completes final assembly in Toulouse and is fitted with the rear centre tank and flight-test instrumentation.
June 2, 2026
Maiden flight. The first A350-1000ULR flies from Toulouse-Blagnac, opening a roughly two-month, 80-hour certification campaign toward EASA approval.
July 24, 2026
22-hour test flight to Australia. Airbus plans to fly the jet nonstop from Toulouse to Melbourne, one of the longest sorties of the program, arriving that morning local time.
February 2027
Tickets on sale. Qantas says it will open sales for its first Project Sunrise service.
October 2027
First commercial service. Qantas targets its inaugural nonstop Sydney to London Heathrow flight.
Sources and references used for research and fact-checking.