The trip that took place on July 28 attracted huge attention from aviation enthusiasts – more than 3.6 million people followed the plane’s route online.
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The flight was organized as part of the Australian airline “Qantas” project “Project Sunrise”. The company is preparing to start direct flights without intermediate landings from Australia to London and New York.
A specially adapted “Airbus A350-1000ULR” aircraft flew 23,075 kilometers from Melbourne to Toulouse. Its route stretched over the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
The trip ended in Toulouse, southwestern France, where the Airbus factory is located. Since June, the manufacturer has been conducting a two-month testing program for this aircraft.
Broke the world record
It is believed that the “Qantas” flight broke the previous endurance record for a commercial aircraft, set back in 2005.
At that time, a “Boeing 777-200LR” flew from Hong Kong to London for 22 hours and 42 minutes. The plane chose not the shorter westward route but flew over the Pacific Ocean.
The new “Airbus” stayed in the air almost two hours longer. Another test of this aircraft was conducted last week. From Toulouse to Melbourne over the Indian Ocean, it flew in just over 19 hours.
According to flight tracking platform “Flightradar24”, the record trip became the second most watched flight in its history.
Only the 2022 flight of the plane carrying Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin attracted more viewers. More than 3.6 million platform users followed the “Qantas” plane’s journey, which continued north over Canada.
Australia and London connected by one flight
“Qantas” ordered 12 specially modified “Airbus A350-1000ULR” aircraft. They plan to directly connect Australia’s east coast with London and New York.
It is expected that such trips will last about 20 hours. The exact flight duration will depend on the chosen route and wind direction.
Until now, passengers flying from Australia to London had to transfer at least once or the plane had to stop to refuel. In the early days of aviation, the so-called Kangaroo route took up to five days and required many stops.
Now “Qantas” hopes to shorten this trip to a single flight lasting 19–21 hours.
The airline is expected to receive the first aircraft of the new series in April 2027. It will be equipped with an additional fuel tank, allowing it to carry another 20,000 liters of fuel.
The aircraft is designed for very long flights but has only 238 passenger seats – significantly fewer than usual for aircraft of this size. This aims to ensure more space and comfort for people spending almost a day in the air.
“Qantas” plans to start daily direct flights between Sydney and London in October 2027.
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