Perth, June 3: Qantas’ first Airbus A350-1000ULR for Project Sunrise has successfully completed its maiden test flight from Toulouse, France, marking a major milestone towards launching the world’s longest non-stop commercial flights.
The aircraft flew for three hours and 43 minutes as Airbus engineers tested key systems, including a specialised fuel system featuring an additional 20,000-litre rear centre fuel tank designed to support flights of up to 22 hours.
The successful flight begins a two-month testing and certification program involving around 80 hours of flight testing and extensive ground checks on new ultra-long-haul components.
A second Project Sunrise aircraft is currently undergoing final assembly and cabin installation at Airbus and is scheduled for delivery to Qantas in April next year.
Qantas is expected to announce its first Project Sunrise route and inaugural service schedule later this month, with non-stop flights from Australia’s east coast to London and New York set to become a reality.
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