Airbus is preparing for a marathon test flight this week with Qantas’ upcoming A350-1000ULR aircraft scheduled to fly from France to Australia for the first time.
On July 15, 2026, Australian media reported that the Qantas A350-1000ULR, with its extra 20,000-litre rear center tank, will make the 22-hour journey landing at Melbourne Airport (MEL) on July 17, 2026.
The A350-1000ULR, currently registered as F-WULR, has recently been taking part in Airbus test flights over Cardiff but will face its stiffest challenge yet when it departs Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (TLS) and heads down under.
Analysts and engineers at Airbus will be using the 17,000-kilometer flight to assess a plethora of systems and acquire huge amounts of data on every aspect of the journey.
The test aircraft is one of 12 A350-1000 ULRs that will join the Qantas fleet in the coming years.
And here's your first look at the 1st @Qantas Airbus A350-1000ULR that'll operate Project Sunrise flights in the QF livery.
— Zach Griff (@_ZachGriff) June 17, 2026
First route: London to Sydney, launching in October 2027. pic.twitter.com/IfisLw9qvR
The Airbus A350-1000ULR built for Qantas’ Project Sunrise completed its first flight on June 2, 2026. The widebody flew for three hours and 43 minutes from Toulouse.
On June 17, 2026, Qantas announced it had selected London as the launch destination for its first Project Sunrise flight.
While London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) had always been the ultimate goal for Qantas’ inaugural flight, there was speculation the carrier would pivot to New York.
The first flight from Sydney to London will depart in October 2027 and tickets go on sale in February 2027.
“We made a commitment in 2017 that Qantas would conquer the final frontier of long-haul aviation and connect Australia’s east coast directly to London, something that has never before been possible. From October 2027, that promise becomes reality,” Hudson said in June 2026.
She added: “Eliminating the stopover saves customers up to four hours of travel time. This aircraft has been designed from the ground up for ultra long-haul travel, with a cabin built around science and combatting jetlag, with an onboard experience purpose-built for the length of the journey.”