New airliner sets record flying 24 hrs nonstop from Australia to France

An Airbus A350-1000ULR set a test-flight record during an ultra-long nonstop run between Australia and France, a step toward the world’s longest commercial nonstop routes planned for next year. The aircraft completed more than 24 hours in the air between Toulouse, France, and Melbourne, Australia, after departing Toulouse on July 23 for 19 hours and 13 minutes. A return flight—takeoff from Melbourne on July 27 and landing in Toulouse on July 28—lasted 24 hours and 25 minutes and covered 12,460 nautical miles, crossing the Pacific and Atlantic and passing over North America, according to Airbus and Flightradar24. Qantas plans to use the A350-1000ULR for Project Sunrise service between Sydney and either New York or London, with ticket sales targeted for 2027.