Airbus’ A350-1000ULR has been officially recognized for breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest flight by distance by a commercial aircraft.
The record-breaking flight from Melbourne to Toulouse, France, took place in July and was widely reported on, but was only recently confirmed by Guinness using data validated by the International Aeronautical Federation and flightradar24.
The nonstop journey covered 12,503 nautical miles and lasted 24 hours and 24 minutes. The -1000ULR flew over Sydney and the Pacific on a north-easterly routing toward Los Angeles, crossed North America and the Atlantic, and passed over London on its way to Toulouse. According to Airbus, the 13 people on board witnessed two sunsets and two sunrises.
The crew included three Airbus flight test pilots, two pilots from Qantas, and five Airbus flight test engineers. Also on board were two Airbus design engineers and a representative from the IAF.
Airbus is developing the -1000ULR for Qantas’ Project Sunrise, a yearslong effort to connect the east coast of Australia with far-flung destinations such as New York and London. The manufacturer expects to deliver the first of the type in April 2027. Qantas is aiming to operate the first Project Sunrise flight, from Sydney to London, later that year.
The Australian flag carrier has ordered 12 -1000ULRs.
“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,” Lars Wagner, CEO of commercial aircraft at Airbus, said in a news release. “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.”
