A very special Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft has arrived in Australia a couple of days ago and will fly back to France tomorrow. It’s not one of the actual Project Sunrise aircraft that will operate with the Qantas livery, but the test aircraft that is being used for the final phases of the flight test campaign before Project Sunrise takes off officially in October 2027.
Project Sunrise is famous worldwide, and it should be, as one of the greatest leaps in modern aviation history. The world’s first non-stop services between Sydney and London, operated by Australia’s Qantas, will officially become the longest non-stop commercial flights in the world, breaking all records and setting a new benchmark.
This game-changing project couldn’t have been possible without an exceptional aircraft that could handle the seemingly-impossible task of flying 22 hours without stops. That aircraft turned out to be an Airbus A350-1000ULR (Ultra Long Range) that has been modified and manufactured by Airbus specifically for Qantas.
What makes this aircraft so special is the additional 20,000-liter (5,280 gallons) fuel tanks that enables it to fly for more than 16,000 km (close to 10,000 miles), the equivalent of a non-stop 22-hour journey.
Qantas will operate 12 such aircraft for Project Sunrise, and the first one (already named Vega) is due to be delivered to Qantas in April, next year.
Until then, Airbus and Qantas must complete an extensive flight test campaign using a test version of the A350-1000ULR. This test aircraft has completed its first flight at the beginning of June, this year, and this month is reached another milestone. On July 24, it arrived in Australia from the Airbus manufacturing facility in Toulouse, with five flight test engineers onboard, in addition to the test pilots.
On Monday, July 27, the test aircraft will make its return journey back home, from Melbourne to Toulouse, with two extra Qantas pilots onboard. This is all part of the final phases of the test flight campaign, in preparation for the actual non-stop flights between Sydney and London, due to begin in October 2027.
During the initial phases, Airbus carried out extensive ground-based testing in Toulouse, with a heavy focus on the redesigned fuel system that allows this A350-1000ULR to do what no other commercial airliner has done before.
The 12 Project Sunrise aircraft will be just as special in terms of cabin design, as they are when it comes to technology. Last month, the Australia operator shared more images and details of the aircraft’s bespoke interior, boasting an impressive range of amenities and features specifically conceived to enhance passenger comfort during the unprecedented 22-hour non-stop flights.
It starts with a 238-seat configuration, the lowest of any A350 aircraft, and continues with things like a dedicated in-flight Wellbeing Zone (the first of its kind in the industry), advanced entertainment options, highly-personalized lighting, and purposely-designed suites.
Those who want to become passengers of the first historic non-stop flight from Sydney to London will be able to book a seat onboard starting February next year.
