Toulouse, France: Airbus has confirmed that its A350-1000ULR, developed for Qantas Airways, has set a new Guinness World Record for the longest flight by distance completed by a commercial airliner. The aircraft covered 23,155 kilometres during a flight from Melbourne, Australia, to Toulouse, France, lasting 24 hours and 24 minutes.
The flight, operated under the call sign AIB35LR, departed Melbourne at 5:27 pm local time on 27 July 2026 and arrived in Toulouse at 9:51 am on 28 July. The distance covered was 12,503 nautical miles. The record was independently validated by the International Aeronautical Federation and Flightradar24.
During the journey, the aircraft flew over Sydney before heading north east across the Pacific towards Los Angeles. It then crossed North America and the Atlantic before passing over London and continuing to Toulouse. The route covered three continents and two oceans, with the crew experiencing two sunsets and two sunrises.
A total of 13 people were aboard the aircraft. The team included Airbus test pilots Xavier Pepin, Vincent Sibelle and Josef Bayoud, along with Qantas pilots Captain Andrew Coull and Captain David Summergreene. Airbus test flight engineers Laurent Rossignol and Nicolas Granier, flight test engineers Tuan Do, Alexia Plumet and Jaime Angoloti, design engineers Stefan Gumm and Carsten Obermann, and International Aeronautical Federation representative Gilles Darriau also took part in the flight.
The record flight formed part of the test programme for the A350-1000ULR, which Airbus is developing for Qantas under Project Sunrise. The programme required Airbus to demonstrate a flight with a block time of 23 hours, measured from aircraft pushback at departure to arrival at the parking position, to simulate the demands of the airline’s planned ultra long haul operations.
The aircraft incorporates an additional rear centre fuel tank, which increases its range by around 1,000 nautical miles. Qantas has also confirmed that its Project Sunrise aircraft will feature an additional 20,000 litre fuel tank, enabling operations of more than 16,000 kilometres and up to 22 hours without a stop.
Qantas has now confirmed that its non stop Sydney to London service will begin in October 2027, operated by the A350-1000ULR. The flights will use the airline’s established QF1 and QF2 flight numbers and are expected to reduce journey times by up to four hours compared with the existing service via Singapore. Tickets are scheduled to go on sale in February 2027.
The airline plans to take delivery of 12 A350-1000ULR aircraft, each configured with 238 seats across four cabins. The first aircraft is expected to be delivered in April 2027. Qantas will continue operating its existing Sydney to London service via Singapore under the new flight numbers QF5 and QF6, retaining an option for passengers who prefer a stopover.
The A350-1000ULR will also support Qantas’s planned non stop Sydney to New York operations. Airbus says the aircraft has been designed to operate these routes with flight times of up to 22 hours. The record flight from Melbourne to Toulouse demonstrates the aircraft’s range capability as it moves towards its planned commercial role under Project Sunrise.
