A new Qantas Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft has completed a flight lasting over 24 hours, crossing three continents and two oceans. The journey, which experienced two sunsets and two sunrises, is believed to be the longest-ever direct commercial flight.
The aircraft, MSN707, took off from Melbourne, Australia, and landed in Toulouse, France, on the morning of 28 July, 24 hours and 24 minutes later. It covered 12,460 nautical miles during this return leg of a journey that began in Toulouse a few days earlier.
This unprecedented journey was part of trials for Qantas’s upcoming Project Sunrise services. These services are planned to launch between Sydney and London in October 2027, aiming to be the world's longest non-stop commercial flight at 10,573 miles.
During the flight, which did not carry passengers, the crew tested the additional 20,000-litre fuel tank, air conditioning systems, and crew rest compartments. Pilots managed fatigue through four-hour shifts, with crew rotations every two hours.