- Qantas’ A350-1000ULR landed in Melbourne on 24 July after a 19-hour test flight.
- The aircraft departed Toulouse on 23 July and covered approximately 17,000km.
- Sydney-London nonstop service launches October 2027.
- Tickets for inaugural flights go on sale February 2027.
- The first full Qantas livery A350, named Vega, delivers April 2027.
Qantas’ first Airbus A350-1000ULR built for the airline has landed in Melbourne on 24 July after a non-stop flight from Toulouse, France, as part of the Project Sunrise test programme. The aircraft, registered F-WULR, departed Toulouse at 7.33 local time on 23 July with nine crew on board, covering approximately 17,000km in just over 19 hours. The flight tested fuel transfer and air conditioning systems.
The aircraft’s extra 20,000-litre rear centre fuel tank gives it ultra-long-range capability of approximately 18,500km, enabling flights of up to 22 hours. From October 2027, Project Sunrise aircraft will operate Qantas’ non-stop Sydney-London route, saving passengers up to four hours compared with today’s fastest one-stop service. Tickets for the inaugural flights are due to go on sale in February 2027.
The first A350-1000ULR painted in full Qantas livery, named Vega, is still being built and will become the first aircraft handed over to the airline, with delivery expected in April 2027. Qantas has ordered 12 A350-1000ULRs in total, each configured with 238 seats. The test flight drew more than 67,000 people tracking its progress on Flightradar24.
