Qantas nears nonstop Sydney-London flights after 19-hour test flight
Dhaka: Qantas has moved a step closer to launching nonstop flights between Sydney and London after an Airbus A350-1000ULR completed a nearly 19-hour certification test flight, covering close to 17,000 kilometers without passengers on board.
The aircraft departed Toulouse carrying only Airbus test pilots and flight-test engineers, rather than commercial passengers, and landed in Melbourne, marking a key milestone for Qantas' long-running Project Sunrise initiative.
While it was not the first nonstop flight linking Europe and Australia, a distinction held by the airline's Paris-Perth route, this flight served specifically as a certification exercise for the aircraft type Qantas intends to use on future nonstop Sydney-London services.
The flight briefly became the most-tracked aircraft on Flightradar24 as it crossed Europe, the Middle East, and the Indian Ocean, reflecting global interest in the aircraft despite it not yet carrying paying passengers.
Four Airbus test pilots and five flight-test engineers were aboard as part of the manufacturer's certification program. The aircraft is fitted with an additional 20,000-liter rear center fuel tank, extending its endurance to as much as 22 hours, and will return to Toulouse for further testing.
Qantas expects delivery of its first Project Sunrise aircraft, named Vega, in April 2027. Ticket sales are scheduled to begin in February 2027, with daily nonstop Sydney-London flights planned from October that year. Sydney-New York services are expected to follow as additional aircraft join the fleet.
Each A350-1000ULR will be configured to carry only 238 passengers across four cabins, a notably lower capacity than comparable aircraft, allowing for extra fuel and more personal space. The design also includes a dedicated Wellbeing Zone for passengers to stretch and move during the flight.
The cabin concept draws on research Qantas began in 2019, when the airline operated experimental Boeing 787 flights from New York and London to Sydney. Those flights examined the effects of nearly 20-hour journeys on pilots and passengers, monitoring sleep, alertness, meal timing, and cabin lighting.
The Project Sunrise program has faced setbacks. Certification was previously delayed after regulators required modifications to the aircraft's fuel tank system, pushing back deliveries by more than a year. Airbus subsequently redesigned the system before resuming flight testing.
This week's flight represents the program's return to a critical certification stage ahead of customer deliveries. Qantas will continue operating its existing nonstop Perth-London service alongside the planned Sydney-London route.
The new service is intended to offer travelers a direct connection between the two cities, eliminating the need for a transit stop, once the aircraft enters commercial service.
