Qantas’ first Airbus A350-1000ULR took to the skies on June 2. The test flight—a maiden sortie from Toulouse, France—marks a pivotal moment for Project Sunrise, the airline’s ambitious plan to operate the world’s longest commercial nonstop routes between Australia and both London and New York.
The aircraft, registered as MSN 707, spent 3 hours 43 minutes aloft at 41,000 feet over the Bay of Biscay. The flight test crew ran through critical validation checks on core systems and performance characteristics. They paid particular attention to the specialized 20,000-liter rear center fuel tank—the key feature that makes this A350-1000 into an ultra-long-haul machine capable of nearly 10,000 nautical miles of range.
Experimental test pilots Thomas Wilhelm and Anthony Flynn led the sortie, with test flight engineer Laurent Rossignol, ground test engineer Vincent Frayssinet, and lead flight test engineers Tuan Do and Alexia Plumet rounding out the team. They conducted general aircraft performance checks and tested the new fuel system architecture throughout the flight. According to Airbus, the test marked the beginning of a two-month flight test campaign—one designed to certify the modifications that set the ULR variant apart from the standard A350-1000.
Test Campaign and Technical Validation
MSN 707 will clock approximately 80 flight hours over the next two months. Extensive on-ground checks and certification of the enhanced fuel system take priority. The rear center tank adds roughly 1,000 nautical miles of range compared to the standard A350-1000LR, which means the aircraft can fly up to 9,700 nautical miles nonstop—sufficient to cover the Sydney-London route of 10,573 miles with reserves built in.
The test campaign extends beyond fuel system work. Airbus is also testing a new galley air-cooling solution featuring lighter, more efficient refrigeration units that could roll out across future A350 variants. Cabin ventilation and temperature control systems need validation too—essential features for flights stretching up to 22 hours with 238 passengers packed in an ultra-premium configuration.
The aircraft runs on Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines, which deliver approximately 25 percent better fuel efficiency per seat than Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on comparable long-haul routes. That efficiency advantage matters enormously for Project Sunrise’s bottom line, allowing the A350-1000ULR to turn a profit on routes that would be marginal or impossible for older widebodies.
Fleet Plan and Delivery Timeline
Qantas ordered 12 A350-1000ULRs for Project Sunrise in May 2022, then added 12 standard A350-1000s in August 2023 as part of Project Fysh. The first commercial delivery is set for April 2027—slipping from the originally planned end-2026 target due to supply chain constraints and a fuel tank redesign Airbus undertook to satisfy regulatory requirements during certification.
MSN 707 is currently flying in test configuration—no Qantas livery, no cabin furnishings. Once flight testing wraps up, it will be retrofitted to full commercial specs. The airline’s first deliverable aircraft will sport the distinctive Qantas livery and carry six first-class seats with two-meter flat beds, 52 business-class seats, 40 premium economy seats, and 140 economy seats, for a total of 238 passengers.
What’s Next
Qantas said it will announce its first Project Sunrise route and the timing of inaugural commercial services later this month. Pilot training is already underway at a new A350 simulator in Sydney, positioning the airline to accept its first aircraft and get crews qualified well ahead of the April 2027 delivery date.
When it enters service, the A350-1000ULR will claim the title of world’s longest-range commercial aircraft. That crown currently belongs to Singapore Airlines’ A350-900ULR, which operates the world’s longest scheduled nonstop flight at 9,537 miles. We’ll keep track of the flight test progress and Qantas’ route announcements in the weeks ahead.
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