The jet built for Qantas' 22-hour flights just flew 24 hours nonstop and set a world record

Airbus says its A350-1000ULR is now the official record holder for the longest flight ever flown by a commercial airliner. The jet flew 12,503 nautical miles (23,155 kilometers) nonstop from Melbourne to Toulouse in 24 hours and 24 minutes. Airbus announced the Guinness World Records title on Nov. 9, 2026. The plane is the model Qantas will use for its Project Sunrise flights from Sydney to London and New York.

For travelers, the record matters less as a stunt and more as proof. Airbus says the test showed the jet can do the job Qantas ordered it for. Qantas' planned flights will be shorter than the record run, at almost 10,000 nautical miles and up to 22 hours, according to Airbus' announcement.

What the record flight actually did#

The flight took place months before the record was confirmed. It used the call sign AIB35LR and was flown by Airbus, not by Qantas as a passenger service. Airbus says the aircraft left Melbourne at 5:27 p.m. local time on Monday, July 27, 2026. It landed in Toulouse, France, at 9:51 a.m. local time on Tuesday, July 28.

Airbus says the record rests on aircraft data checked by the International Aeronautical Federation and by flight tracker Flightradar24.

The route was not a straight line. After takeoff, the jet flew over Sydney. It then headed northeast across the Pacific toward Los Angeles and crossed the international date line. It flew across North America and the Atlantic, then turned south toward the UK. It passed over London before landing in Toulouse. Airbus says the crew saw two sunsets and two sunrises on the way.

Who was on board#

There were no paying passengers. Airbus lists 13 people on the flight:

• three Airbus test pilots
• two Qantas pilots, Captain Andrew Coull and Captain David Summergreene
• five Airbus flight test engineers
• two Airbus design engineers
• one representative of the International Aeronautical Federation

The flight was part of the jet's test program. Airbus says the test program required one sector with a block time of 23 hours, from pushback to arrival at the gate. That run was meant to mimic the longest flights the plane could fly in airline service.

People on the ground were watching too. Flightradar24 says the flight drew 3,652,947 follows on its tracker. That makes it the site's second most tracked flight ever, behind the final flight of Queen Elizabeth II, according to Flightradar24.

Why this plane can go so far#

The key change is fuel. Airbus says the ULR version adds a rear center fuel tank built into the aircraft's structure. That tank adds about 1,000 nautical miles of range compared with the standard A350-1000.

The A350-1000ULR is the fourth passenger version of the A350 family. It joins the A350-900, the A350-900ULR and the standard A350-1000. Airbus says that at the end of October 2026, the A350 family had 1,628 orders from 70 customers. More than 740 of the jets are flying with 42 operators.

Lars Wagner, who runs Airbus' commercial aircraft business, said Airbus had "fully proven the aircraft's capability to fulfill its mission." He called the world record "the icing on the cake."

When Qantas passengers can fly it#

Qantas has ordered 12 A350-1000ULRs for Project Sunrise. Airbus says the first jet is due for delivery next April, meaning April 2027. It is set to enter service on the Sydney to London route later that year. Qantas also has 12 standard A350-1000s on order for the rest of its long-haul network.

Airbus has not given a launch date for the Sydney to New York flights in this release. The announcement also says nothing about fares, seat maps or lounge plans for the new routes. Travelers should treat any exact start date as unconfirmed until Qantas puts the flights on sale.

1. July 27, 2026Record flight leaves Melbourne
2. July 28, 2026Jet lands in Toulouse after 24 hours, 24 minutes
3. Nov. 9, 2026Airbus announces the Guinness World Records title
4. April 2027First Qantas delivery scheduled
5. Later in 2027Sydney to London service planned

Source: Airbus

Our take: the hard part is now the cabin, not the plane#

The record answers the question of whether the jet can fly the distance. It does not answer the question most travelers will ask, which is whether 20-plus hours in a seat will feel bearable. That depends on the cabin, the food, the sleep plan and the ground experience before departure.

That is why the lounge side of Project Sunrise will matter. Qantas is already rebuilding its international business lounge in Sydney. We covered its December reopening plans. If you are going to spend most of a day in the air, the hours before boarding become part of the trip, not a waiting room.

We also think the record sets a high bar for Qantas. A test crew of 13 is not a full cabin of passengers with luggage and meals. The real test comes when the jet flies full, on schedule, week after week. Until then, the record shows what the aircraft can do. Qantas still has to show what the trip will feel like.

You can follow more Qantas news and ratings on Lounge Frog.

{{cite news |title=The jet built for Qantas' 22-hour flights just flew 24 hours nonstop and set a world record |url=https://www.loungefrog.com/news/airbus-a350-1000ulr-qantas-world-record-longest-flight-24-hours |work=Lounge Frog |author=Patrick Karsh |date=2026-11-10 |language=en}}

{
  "id": "https://www.loungefrog.com/news/airbus-a350-1000ulr-qantas-world-record-longest-flight-24-hours",
  "type": "article-newspaper",
  "title": "The jet built for Qantas' 22-hour flights just flew 24 hours nonstop and set a world record",
  "URL": "https://www.loungefrog.com/news/airbus-a350-1000ulr-qantas-world-record-longest-flight-24-hours",
  "container-title": "Lounge Frog",
  "language": "en",
  "author": [
    {
      "literal": "Patrick Karsh"
    }
  ],
  "issued": {
    "date-parts": [
      [
        2026,
        11,
        10
      ]
    ]
  }
}

<iframe src="https://www.loungefrog.com/embed/news/airbus-a350-1000ulr-qantas-world-record-longest-flight-24-hours?theme=auto" title="The jet built for Qantas' 22-hour flights just flew 24 hours nonstop and set a world record by Lounge Frog" width="100%" height="440" style="border:0;max-width:100%" loading="lazy"></iframe>
<p style="font-size:14px">The jet built for Qantas' 22-hour flights just flew 24 hours nonstop and set a world record by <a href="https://www.loungefrog.com/news/airbus-a350-1000ulr-qantas-world-record-longest-flight-24-hours" rel="nofollow">Lounge Frog</a></p>
<script async src="https://www.loungefrog.com/embed.js"></script>