Airbus A350-1000ULR Completes Historic 24-Hour Nonstop Flight from Melbourne to Toulouse

An Airbus A350-1000ULR has landed in Toulouse after a marathon nonstop test flight from Melbourne, Australia, lasting 24 hours and 23 minutes.

The ultra-long-range aircraft, the first built for Qantas’ Project Sunrise programme, covered approximately 12,460 nautical miles (23,076 km). Flight-tracking data confirmed the duration, marking one of the longest flights ever performed by a commercial airliner.

The jet departed Melbourne on 27 July and touched down at Airbus’ home base the following day. Thousands of aviation enthusiasts followed the final approach online, with more than 120,000 people tracking the flight on Flightradar24 at peak.

The mission formed part of the development campaign for the specialised A350-1000ULR, which features an additional rear centre fuel tank to extend its range. Qantas has ordered 12 of the aircraft for planned nonstop services linking Australia’s east coast with London and New York, with the first delivery expected in 2027.

The return leg followed an earlier nonstop flight from Toulouse to Melbourne earlier in the week that lasted more than 19 hours.