Airbus A350-1000ULR flies 24 hours nonstop from Australia to France

On 23 and 24 July 2026, an Airbus A350-1000ULR flew nonstop from Toulouse, France, to Melbourne, Australia, in 19 hours and 13 minutes — a test that brings the world’s longest nonstop commercial routes closer to reality. The ultra-long-range jet was developed for Qantas Airways’ Project Sunrise, which aims to connect Sydney with New York and London without layovers. Qantas has ordered 12 of the aircraft and expects to begin selling tickets in 2027. Before the marathon flight, the A350-1000ULR completed initial test flights near Airbus’s Toulouse base with a small crew. The successful journey shows the plane can handle extreme endurance, and further testing is likely as Qantas prepares for a commercial launch in 2027.