Qantas’s new ultra long-distance aircraft has landed on Australian soil for the first time on Friday after a ۱۹-hour test flight from France.
The Airbus A۳۵۰-۱۰۰۰ULR, designed for Qantas to complete some of the longest commercial flights in the world, set off on a nonstop journey from Airbus’ manufacturing facility Toulouse, France on Thursday, destined for Melbourne.
The planes have been designed to fly up to ۲۲ hours nonstop for the company’s Sydney to London direct route, expected to start in October ۲۰۲۷.
The test flight has attracted attention from transport enthusiasts, with more than ۶۷,۰۰۰ people following its almost ۱۷,۰۰۰km path on flightradar۲۴.com on Friday morning – the most-watched flight globally on Friday.
The air traffic website indicates the flight departed Toulouse at ۷.۳۳am on Thursday, local time. It landed in Melbourne just over ۱۹ hours later, at ۱۰.۴۶am, local time.
In a statement, Qantas said four Airbus flight test pilots and five flight test engineers were operating the model’s test. They and the aircraft will stay in Melbourne over the weekend then depart for Toulouse on Monday, with two Qantas pilots joining them on board.
Qantas’ chief technical pilot, Alex Passerini, told Channel Seven on Friday the return flight would take ۲۳ hours, as the crew tested systems from fuel transfer to air conditioning.
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Passerini said crews would be able to take regular rest breaks on the plane, aligned with the airline’s “data-driven” systems.
“Everyone’s going to get tired,” Passerini said.
Qantas said the plane in flight was the first of its model to take to the skies. The A۳۵۰–۱۰۰۰ULR was first flown on ۲ June, for three hours ۴۳ minutes over France and the French Atlantic coast, and has since undergone extensive testing.
The test model is not carrying Qantas’s official white and red livery. It has a tan exterior carrying company branding, with Qantas logos on its wingtips.
The company said the first A۳۵۰-۱۰۰۰ULR painted in the Qantas livery, named Vega, is still on the assembly line and will be delivered to Qantas in April ۲۰۲۷.
The A۳۵۰–۱۰۰۰ULR’s extra ۲۰,۰۰۰-litre fuel tank enables it to fly ultra long-haul routes of almost ۱۰,۰۰۰ nautical miles (۱۸,۵۰۰km), according to Airbus. Qantas in June said it was buying ۱۲ aircraft with ۲۳۸ seats rather than the ۳۰۰-plus seats on other A۳۵۰-۱۰۰۰ models.
Qantas’s Project Sunrise plans for nonstop services between Sydney and London have been delayed multiple times in previous years.
In November ۲۰۲۵, the company said the service would start in the first half of ۲۰۲۷, with Airbus set to deliver the first specially configured A۳۵۰-۱۰۰۰ULR by late ۲۰۲۶. But Airbus in June revealed the first aircraft would be delivered in April ۲۰۲۷, pushing back the start date again.
Qantas had previously mentioned Melbourne and Brisbane, along with Sydney, as planned hubs for direct flights to London and New York City. The company’s latest announcement in June did not mention those cities but officials have indicated Qantas would adjust its routes based on customer demand.
