Qantas Completes Long-Haul Test Flight for Project Sunrise
Qantas completed a 19-hour test flight from France to Australia to validate ultra-long-haul aircraft for new non-stop routes to London and New York.
A specially configured Airbus A350-1000ULR completed a 19-hour non-stop test flight from Toulouse, France, to Melbourne, Australia, on July 24, 2026. The journey served as a range capability test for Qantas and its Project Sunrise initiative, which aims to launch the world's longest commercial flights from Sydney to London and New York by October 2027.
The aircraft, designed for flights up to 22 hours, features an additional 20,000-litre fuel tank. The test flight drew significant global attention, becoming the second most-tracked flight in Flightradar24 history with 2.9 million viewers. Qantas plans to order 12 A350-1000ULRs and 12 A350-1000LRs to replace its aging A330 fleet.
To support these operations, Qantas entered a 15-year agreement with Melbourne Airport for a $4.5 billion international terminal expansion and the construction of a third runway, scheduled to open in 2031. The airline intends to base several A350-1000LRs in Melbourne to enable direct non-stop service to Europe.
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