Qantas-bound Airbus A350-1000ULR sets world distance record

An Airbus A350-1000ULR developed for Qantas has set a Guinness World Record for the longest flight by distance by a commercial airliner, Airbus announced on 9 November. The aircraft covered 12,503 nautical miles (23,155 km) non-stop from Melbourne to Toulouse on 27–28 July 2026. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale and Flightradar24 independently validated the flight data, Airbus said.

The Airbus-operated test flight carried 13 people, including two Qantas pilots. It routed via Sydney, crossed the Pacific towards Los Angeles, then flew across North America and the Atlantic before passing over London en route to Toulouse.

Qantas has ordered 12 A350-1000ULRs for Project Sunrise, with the first delivery scheduled for April 2027 and non-stop Sydney–London services planned for later that year. The variant is also intended for Sydney–New York flights. An additional rear centre fuel tank extends its range by about 1,000 nautical miles.