Airbus will conduct a nonstop test flight of its new long-haul A350-1000ULR from Toulouse, France, to Melbourne, Australia, on July 24, according to infohub.kz.
The route, nearly 17,000 kilometers long, will take about 22 hours, making it one of the longest test flights in civil aviation history. The test is part of Australian airline Qantas's Project Sunrise, which aims to launch direct flights from Australia to Europe and North America without intermediate stops.
If successful, Qantas plans to start nonstop flights on the Sydney-London and Sydney-New York routes from October 2027.
To support the project, Airbus modified the A350-1000ULR, including installing an additional 20,000-liter fuel tank in the tail, and upgrading the fuel system and galley cooling. These changes are designed to enable nearly 24-hour flights without refueling.
Before entering commercial service, the new variant must be certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
According to Bild, the upcoming flight will be a key test of whether a passenger aircraft can safely remain airborne for nearly a full day without an intermediate landing.