Airbus’ first A350-1000ULR built for Qantas has completed its initial flight, launching a flight test program for the airline’s planned Project Sunrise routes. According to Airbus, the aircraft, MSN 707, flew from Toulouse, France, on June 2 for 3 hours, 43 minutes and reached just over 41,000 feet.
The plane is part of a 12-aircraft A350-1000ULR order from Qantas and is intended for nonstop service from Sydney to New York and London, which will likely see flights run as long as 22 hours. Airbus said the aircraft’s increased range comes largely from an added rear center tank, which extends the A350-1000’s range by about 1,000 nautical miles.
During the first flight, the Airbus test crew checked aircraft performance and evaluated the revised fuel system.
Airbus said the certification campaign is expected to take about two months and will also cover cabin ventilation, temperature control and a new galley cooling system. After testing, MSN 707 will be brought to Qantas’ commercial configuration.
The first A350-1000ULR scheduled for delivery to the airline is in final assembly and is expected to go to Qantas in April 2027.
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