Qantas’ ultra-long-haul plane has touched down in Australia for the first time after a test flight lasting over 19 hours, marking a major milestone in long-haul travel.

The Australian airline’s Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft landed in Melbourne on Friday, 24 July, following a test flight that took off from the plane’s manufacturing facility in Toulouse.

Tests are being carried out ahead of Qantas launching the “Project Sunrise” services between Sydney and London in October 2027, which will be the longest non-stop commercial flight in the world at 10,573 miles.

The current longest flight in the world is Singapore Airlines’ flight from its hub to New York JFK at 9,537 miles.

The test flight was operated by four Airbus pilots and five engineers who tested the additional 20,000-litre fuel tank that allows the plane to fly commercially non-stop for 22 hours without refuelling.

The return flight to Toulouse will depart Melbourne on Monday, 27 July with two Qantas pilots onboard alongside the test crew.

Once the non-stop service goes on sale, the airline said it will save customers up to four hours compared with the fastest service today, which has to make a stop.

There will be 12 Project Sunrise planes built in total. All future Project Sunrise Airbus A350 aircraft will be fitted with a new galley air cooling system, which features lighter and more efficient refrigeration units.

The aircraft will also offer only 238 seats, less than half the maximum, meaning passengers will get more space. With fewer people on board, the plane’s weight will be lower.

The ultra-long-haul services will operate alongside Qantas’ existing Perth-London and Sydney-Singapore-London services.

Tickets for the first Sydney to London services will go on sale in February 2027.

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