Qantas Airbus A350-1000ULR world-record longest commercial flight, Digi Mart USA News (Melbourne to Toulouse): Qantas Airways has entered the Guinness Book of World Records after the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) verified that the airline’s Airbus A350-1000ULR passenger liner completed the world’s longest commercial flight, from Melbourne to Toulouse.
On July 27, 2026, an Airbus A350-1000ULR, which stands for Ultra Long Range, took off from Melbourne, Australia, bound for Toulouse, France. Aboard the aircraft were three Airbus test pilots, two Qantas pilots, five Airbus flight engineers, two Airbus design engineers, and an FAI representative for verification monitoring, which was also provided by flightradar24.
To cover the 12,503-nautical-mile (14,388-mile, 23,155-km) voyage, the baseline A350 was equipped with a new rear center fuel tank with a capacity of up to 20,900 liters (5,521 gal), along with upgraded fuel lines, pumps, temperature-monitoring equipment, and a nitrogen inerting system to prevent fires and explosions. As a result, the Airbus A350-1000ULR has an operational range extended by up to 1,000 nautical miles (1,151 miles, 1,852 km).
Airbus also announced the record on social media, describing the flight as taking 24 hours and 24 minutes and noting that it set the record for the longest commercial aircraft flight by distance for Qantas under its Project Sunrise program.
The range extension was accompanied by reinforced key load-bearing points around the center wing box and the undercarriage, along with an increased maximum takeoff weight to allow for greater payloads. The Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines were tweaked for extended low-thrust cruising.
Because the flight lasted 24 hours and 24 minutes, the cabin was designed to reduce jet lag with special lighting and meal schedules, and was configured with extended crew rest facilities. It also featured low-density seating of 238 seats to make room for a “wellbeing zone” where passengers can move and stretch, as well as hydration stations.
The flight is part of Qantas’ Project Sunrise, an ambitious business plan to establish new non-stop routes from Sydney to London and New York. At present, such journeys must stop in places such as Singapore, Dubai, and Doha, which can add at least four hours to a one-stop trip.
According to Qantas, such ultra-long-haul flights could be faster and sold at a premium to business and high-end leisure travelers, as well as Premium Economy passengers, raising per-seat revenue. Qantas would also hold a temporary monopoly on such flights from eastern Australia until other airlines invest in similar aircraft.
“This achievement reflects the pioneering and innovative spirit that is part of our DNA at Airbus,” said Lars Wagner, Chief Executive Officer Commercial Aircraft at Airbus. “In responding to the challenge laid down by Qantas, our teams came together to extend the range of the A350-1000 in an efficient and economically viable way to undertake the world’s longest ever commercial flights.
Flying 12,503 nautical miles non-stop, we have fully proven the aircraft’s capability to fulfill its mission. And the world record was the icing on the cake!”
