More than 22 hours of flying and covering almost 18,000 km non-stop. Today there is no commercial passenger route capable of covering such distance in a single leg. But that is about to change: the Airbus A350-1000ULR is specially designed for this.
It has already demonstrated its capabilities. The first test A350-1000ULR has just completed a flight lasting more than 24 hours without landing, covering over 23,000 km in one stretch. A record figure. It wasn’t a commercial flight, but an extreme test whose goal was to demonstrate whether this aircraft can travel nearly a full day without any stops. And it has done so.
The aircraft that aims to put an end to layovers
The Airbus A350-1000ULR (Ultra Long Range) is a variant of the A350-1000 that Airbus is developing for Qantas, Australia’s leading airline. As its name indicates, this version is specifically designed for ultra-long-haul flights. It is part of the Sunrise Project, which aims to launch the world’s longest passenger flights. It represents a transformation of long-distance travel forever by eliminating layovers between Australia and Europe.
To achieve this it features an additional central aft fuel tank of nearly 21,000 liters, modifications to the fuel-management system, or a cabin configuration tailored for this purpose, among other changes. All aimed at allowing it to complete flights of more than 20 hours without needing to land.
As of today, the longest nonstop route for a commercial passenger aircraft is New York to Singapore: about 15,300 km and more than 18 hours of flight. It is operated by Singapore Airlines with another Airbus aircraft: the A350-900ULR. This A350-1000ULR is thus its bigger brother: a more extreme evolution for flights that until now seemed impossible. When it enters service it will be a more than notable leap for passenger air travel.
24 hours and 23,000 kilometers non-stop: the definitive test
Since this June, the Airbus A350-1000ULR has been conducting tests. One marathon-like: it flew from Melbourne (Australia) to Toulouse (France) without interruption for 24 hours and 24 minutes, covering 12,460 nautical miles (about 23,076 km). On the journey it saw two sunrises and two sunsets, as well as crossing two oceans and one continent: the Pacific, the United States and then the Atlantic. No commercial aircraft has completed such a distance to date.
However, it was a test to determine whether it is viable to fly two specific routes: Sydney-London and Sydney-New York. In other words, flights of around 18,000 km (roughly 9,800-10,000 nautical miles) and about 22 hours. The key is that in these tests the A350-1000ULR did not carry passengers, hence it completed such distance. Therefore, the tests were technical evaluations to approve these routes.
Airbus explains that the goal was to validate the fuel system as well as cabin conditions. Specifically, measurements were taken of the air conditioning and the fuel-management systems, especially the new additional tank of 20,900 liters, essential to cover non-stop nearly 10,000 nautical miles.
The journey was flown with several pilots taking turns at the controls, in four-hour shifts with handovers every two hours, maintaining overlap between those entering and leaving the cockpit. Thus, the airline ensured full relief and at the same time more eyes and hands to keep the situation under control.
The world’s longest commercial flight will take off in 2027
Qantas has ordered 12 of these Airbus A350-1000ULR and Airbus is scheduled to deliver the first one in April 2027. The Sydney-London route will be the first to open with these new ultra-long-haul nonstop flights: it will do so in October 2027.
In addition, another key factor for these 22-hour non-stop journeys is that this A350-1000ULR has a very specific configuration: only 238 passengers. It is well below what this model normally offers—up to 550 seats in maximum capacity and that, in typical configurations, ranges from 350 to 410.
These two routes from Australia to Europe and North America will thus be the longest commercial flights to date, but also with fewer passengers. It remains to be seen what the fare will be: it will offer six First Class suites, 52 Business seats, 40 Premium Economy and 140 Economy. From Qantas they argue that comfort is essential, although some question whether the higher price justifies skipping a four-hour layover. Be that as it may, lighter weight and more fuel efficiency are key to almost a day of uninterrupted flying.
Images | Airbus
