Airbus A350 completes record 24-hour nonstop flight

Airbus has completed a marathon test flight lasting more than 24 hours, with an A350 aircraft designed for ultra-long-haul commercial operations arriving in France from Melbourne after flying nonstop across the globe.

The test represents a major milestone for Qantas’ Project Sunrise initiative, which aims to introduce the world’s longest commercial passenger routes and transform long-distance air travel by removing the need for stopovers between Australia and Europe, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.

The specially modified A350-1000ULR aircraft is expected to begin operating Qantas’ nonstop Sydney-London service from 2027. Airbus has been carrying out a two-month flight-testing campaign on the aircraft since June.

According to Airbus, the aircraft remained airborne for 24 hours and 24 minutes, travelling 23,075 kilometres (14,338 miles) without landing before reaching the company’s final assembly site in Toulouse, France. The plane is equipped with an additional specially designed fuel tank to support extended flights.

Flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 said the journey became the second most-followed flight in its history, with more than 3.6 million users tracking the aircraft’s northward route through Canada. The only flight to attract more attention was a 2024 flight carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II.

The previous record for the longest nonstop flight by a commercial aircraft was set in 2005, when a Boeing 777-200LR Worldliner travelled 21,601.7 kilometres (13,422 miles) from Hong Kong to London in 22 hours and 42 minutes.

Qantas has ordered 12 modified A350-1000ULR aircraft, which are intended to connect Australia’s eastern cities with London and New York in around 20 hours. The project aims to transform the historic “Kangaroo Route” between Australia and London from a journey requiring multiple stops over several days into a single flight lasting between 19 and 21 hours, depending on weather conditions and flight paths.

The first aircraft, which will carry 20,000 litres of fuel and accommodate 238 passengers, is scheduled for delivery in April 2027. Qantas plans to begin daily nonstop services between Sydney and London in October 2027.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov