How a Qantas plane flew 24-hours to Europe

A Qantas Airbus A350-1000ULR completed a 24-hour-and-24-minute flight from Melbourne to Toulouse, France, tracked by more than 3.6 million people on Flightradar24. The trip was the second-most tracked flight on the platform, behind a 2024 flight involving Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin. The demonstration is part of Qantas’ Project Sunrise, aimed at launching non-stop Australia–Europe services using new A350 jets. Qantas says the route would become the world’s longest commercial passenger service, turning a five-day trip to London into a 19–21 hour flight depending on winds. Pilot Captain Tony Lucas said the aircraft includes an extra fuel tank and a reduced passenger count of about 238–240. Qantas expects daily Sydney–London flights from October next year, with premium fares potentially about 20% higher.