The Airbus A350-1000ULR (Ultra-Long Range), being developed for Qantas, has officially broken the Guinness World Record for the longest flight by distance by a commercial airliner, Airbus said in a press release dated November 9.

The record flight took place in July. The Airbus-operated flight, call-sign AIB35LR, left Melbourne at 5:27 pm local time on July 27 and landed in Toulouse, France, at 9:51 am local time on July 28. It covered 12,503 nautical miles (23,155 kilometres) in 24 hours and 24 minutes, according to Airbus. The record was based on aircraft data independently validated by the International Aeronautical Federation (FAI) and flightradar24.

The flight was part of the test campaign for the A350-1000ULR, which Airbus is developing for Qantas under Project Sunrise. Airbus said the programme required it to operate one sector with a block time of 23 hours, to simulate the longest commercial operations the aircraft will fly.

The aircraft flew over Sydney, then across the Pacific towards Los Angeles, crossed North America and the Atlantic, and flew over London before reaching Toulouse. Airbus said the crew saw two sunsets and two sunrises.

Thirteen people were on board: three Airbus flight test pilots, two Qantas pilots, five Airbus flight test engineers, two Airbus design engineers and an FAI representative.

Lars Wagner, CEO of Airbus Commercial Aircraft, said the teams extended the range of the A350-1000 in an efficient and economically viable way, and that the non-stop flight fully proved the aircraft’s capability. He called the world record a significant achievement.

Airbus said the A350-1000ULR will let Qantas fly non-stop between Sydney and London and New York for the first time, a distance of almost 10,000 nautical miles with flight times of up to 22 hours. It said the increase is mainly due to an additional rear centre tank in the structure, which adds 1,000 nautical miles of range.

Qantas has ordered 12 A350-1000ULRs under Project Sunrise, plus 12 standard A350-1000s. The first ULR is scheduled for delivery next April, with entry into service on the Sydney-London route later in 2027, the release said.

Airbus said the A350 Family had 1,628 orders from 70 customers at the end of October 2026, with more than 740 aircraft flying with 42 operators.

Source: PR