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An Airbus A350-1000ULR built for Qantas has officially broken the Guinness World Record for the longest flight by distance by a commercial airliner. The aircraft flew 12,503 nautical miles (about 23,155 kilometres) non-stop from Melbourne to Toulouse in 24 hours and 24 minutes.
The flight took place on 27–28 July 2026 as part of the test programme for Qantas's Project Sunrise. It was officially recognised as a world record on 9 November. The aircraft will be used for Qantas's first non-stop flights between Sydney and London, due to start in October 2027.
The A350-1000ULR took off from Melbourne and flew over Sydney before heading north-east across the Pacific towards Los Angeles. It then crossed North America and the Atlantic and passed over London before flying south to Toulouse in France.
A direct Melbourne–Toulouse flight would cover around 9,100 nautical miles, so the longer route was chosen deliberately to test the aircraft's full range. Crossing multiple time zones and the international date line, the crew saw more than one sunrise and sunset during the journey.
The record was validated by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) and Flightradar24. According to Guinness World Records, nearly 4 million people followed the flight live.
It beats the previous record, set by a Boeing 777-200LR in November 2005. That aircraft flew 11,664 nautical miles from Hong Kong to London in 22 hours and 42 minutes, a record that had stood for 21 years.
Thirteen people were on board, including specialists from Airbus and Qantas:
Three Airbus flight test pilots.
Two Qantas pilots.
Airbus flight test and design engineers.
An official observer for the record attempt.
The flight was designed to prove the aircraft's range and performance ahead of its entry into commercial service.
The A350-1000ULR is a modified version of the standard A350-1000. Its key change is an extra rear centre fuel tank, which adds around 1,000 nautical miles of range. That is what makes flights of more than 20 hours possible.
Qantas has ordered 12 A350-1000ULRs for Project Sunrise, alongside 12 standard A350-1000s for its wider long-haul network. The first ULR is due to be delivered in April 2027. Each will carry 238 passengers across four cabin classes.
Project Sunrise is Qantas's plan to fly non-stop from Australia's east coast to major cities including London and New York.
Travellers flying from Sydney to London currently need at least one stop, for example in Singapore or Perth. Project Sunrise flights will cover almost 10,000 nautical miles, with flight times of up to 22 hours.
Qantas has confirmed that Sydney–London Heathrow will be the first Project Sunrise route, launching in October 2027.
|
Detail |
Information |
|
First route |
Sydney (SYD) – London Heathrow (LHR) |
|
Launch |
October 2027 |
|
Tickets on sale |
February 2027 |
|
Flight time |
Up to 22 hours |
|
Aircraft |
Airbus A350-1000ULR |
|
Seats |
238 across four classes |
|
Next route |
Sydney – New York (timing to be announced) |
The service could cut up to four hours from the journey compared with one-stop options. It will run alongside Qantas's existing Perth–London and Sydney–Singapore–London services.
For passengers travelling between the UK and Australia, ultra-long-range aircraft could bring:
No connecting flight on selected routes.
Shorter total journey times.
Less risk of missed connections and baggage transfers.
More choice of routes between the UK, Australia and North America.
However, flights of more than 20 hours also raise questions about passenger comfort, cabin design, crew rest and the cost of operating such long services.
Lars Wagner, chief executive of Airbus Commercial Aircraft, said flying 12,503 nautical miles non-stop had fully proven the aircraft's ability to fulfil its mission. He called the world record a bonus.
He credited the teamwork between Airbus, Qantas, Rolls-Royce and other partners for extending the aircraft's range.
The A350-1000ULR's record flight is a major step towards non-stop travel between the UK and Australia's east coast. The next milestones are ticket sales in February 2027 and the first aircraft delivery in April 2027, ahead of the first Sydney–London flight in October.
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Flight schedules and launch dates are subject to change. Confirm the latest details with the airline before booking.
