New airliner sets record flying 24 hrs nonstop from Australia to France
Summary
Airbus tested a new airplane, the A350-1000ULR, by flying nonstop for over 24 hours between Australia and France. This plane is designed for very long commercial flights, like Qantas Airways’ planned nonstop trips from Sydney to New York or London starting in 2027.Key Facts
- The Airbus A350-1000ULR flew from Toulouse, France, to Melbourne, Australia, and back nonstop, with the return flight lasting 24 hours and 25 minutes.
- The plane covered about 12,460 nautical miles on the long return trip across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
- It has an extra fuel tank holding about 20,900 liters (5,521 gallons) to fly longer distances, increasing its range by 1,000 nautical miles.
- The plane has a special rest area for pilots so they can take turns flying without disturbing each other during long flights.
- Airbus test pilots and Qantas pilots flew together to prepare Qantas crews for using this new plane variant.
- Over 3.6 million people tracked the flight online, making it one of the most followed flights ever.
- Qantas plans to use this aircraft for nonstop flights that could last up to 21 hours and 40 minutes on routes like Sydney to New York.
- Currently, the longest nonstop commercial flight is operated by Singapore Airlines and takes about 18-19 hours using a different Airbus model.
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