Key Notes
- Guinness recognized a 23,155.6-kilometer Melbourne–Toulouse test flight lasting 24 hours and 24 minutes.
- The July mission carried 13 people and formed part of the A350-1000ULR development program.
- Qantas plans Sydney–London service from October 2027, followed by Sydney–New York in mid-2028.
An Airbus A350-1000ULR has earned Guinness recognition for the farthest flight by a commercial aircraft, covering 23,155.6 kilometers nonstop from Melbourne to Toulouse in 24 hours and 24 minutes. The aircraft crossed the Pacific, North America and the Atlantic on a journey long enough for its crew to see two sunsets and two sunrises.
Guinness World Records announced the recognition on November 9. The flight itself took place on July 27–28 as part of the development program for Qantas’s Project Sunrise aircraft, with 13 people aboard rather than a cabin of paying passengers.
A Record Route Across Two Oceans
After leaving Melbourne, the aircraft passed over Sydney and headed northeast across the Pacific toward Los Angeles. It continued across North America, crossed the Atlantic and flew over London before arriving at Airbus’s base in Toulouse.
Airbus’s record announcement says the flight data were independently validated by the International Aeronautical Federation and Flightradar24. The flight operated under the call sign AIB35LR, carrying Airbus pilots and engineers, two Qantas pilots and a federation representative.
We covered the July test flight when it happened. The new milestone is its formal record recognition, as the aircraft program advances toward scheduled passenger service.
What Airbus Was Testing for More Than a Day
The aircraft’s endurance supports a practical goal: allowing Qantas to operate nonstop flights lasting up to 22 hours. An additional rear center fuel tank is central to the ultra-long-range version’s design.
In its flight-test account, Airbus describes a 20,900-liter rear center tank and explains that the long missions tested fuel management and cabin air-conditioning performance. Engineers also evaluated the new pilot rest compartments, including their ventilation.
The flying schedule required carefully managed rest. Airbus test pilot Xavier Pepin described four-hour pilot shifts with a changeover every two hours, giving incoming and outgoing pilots an overlap for handovers. At least one Airbus test pilot remained at the controls whenever a Qantas pilot occupied the other seat.
When Travelers Could Fly Project Sunrise
Qantas’s current A350 plans set out separate milestones for its first aircraft and its two headline routes:
- April 2027: delivery of the first aircraft, named Vega
- October 2027: daily nonstop Sydney–London flights, with tickets due on sale in February 2027
- Mid-2028: nonstop Sydney–New York flights, with tickets due on sale in August 2027
Those on-sale and launch dates remain subject to regulatory approvals and aircraft certification. We examined the later US launch in our New York coverage. The London and New York services are therefore planned to begin in different years.
A Cabin Built for Ultra-Long Flights
Qantas has ordered 12 A350-1000ULRs for Project Sunrise. Each is planned with 238 seats: six First suites, 52 Business suites, 40 Premium Economy seats and 140 Economy seats.
The airline also plans a Wellbeing Zone between Premium Economy and Economy, with stretch handles, a guided movement program and a hydration station. Lighting scenes and meal planning are being designed around the demands of crossing multiple time zones.
For travelers, the attraction is the removal of an intermediate stop. Qantas says its new A350 routes could shorten the journey by up to four hours compared with one-stop flights. The record provides an engineering milestone; the next passenger-facing milestone will be the opening of London bookings in February.
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