Qantas' first ultra-long-range A350 arrives in Australia after 19-hour flight

Qantas has taken delivery of a major piece of its long-awaited Project Sunrise program as its first Airbus A350-1000ULR completed the journey from France to Australia after a flight lasting more than 19 hours.

The specially configured aircraft departed Airbus' final assembly line in Toulouse, France, at 7:33 a.m. local time on Thursday (July 23) and arrived in Melbourne at 10:46 a.m. local time on Friday, completing its delivery flight to Australia, reports say.

The aircraft's progress drew widespread attention from aviation enthusiasts, quickly becoming the most-followed flight on flight-tracking platform Flightradar24, reports say. 

The arrival marks an important milestone for Qantas' Project Sunrise, the airline's plan to launch some of the world's longest non-stop commercial flights by connecting Australia directly with major global destinations.

Purpose-built for ultra-long-haul operations, the Airbus A350-1000ULR is capable of remaining airborne for nearly 20 hours.

Qantas intends to use the aircraft to operate non-stop flights between Sydney and London, with service expected to begin in October 2027.

Project Sunrise has been years in the making. Before committing to the aircraft, Qantas conducted a series of research flights and studies examining the physical and operational impacts of ultra-long-haul flying on both passengers and crew.

Now that the aircraft has arrived in Australia, it will undergo further testing and preparation before entering commercial service as part of the airline's next generation of long-haul operations.

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