Millions tune in as Qantas jet completes 24-hour non-stop flight

Qantas’ Project Sunrise plane has touched down in Toulouse after flying non-stop for more than 24 hours on a trip from Melbourne.The Airbus ultra-long range A350-1000 flight was followed by more than 3.6 million people on jet tracking site FlightRadar24 alone.The non-stop journey from Melbourne to Toulouse took 24 hours and 24 minutes.Airbus said the aircraft, which boasts a unique 20,000-litre extra fuel tank, remained in the air for 24 hours and 24 minutes, covering 23,075 km without stopping, before landing at the plane’s factory in Toulouse, France.A source with knowledge of the flight said it is the longest flight flown by an Airbus aircraft. However, the company is still evaluating the data with the relevant authorities to determine if this also qualifies as an official world record.The Guinness Book of World Records currently lists a 2005 flight of a Boeing 777 from Hong Kong to London as the longest in the world. A Boeing 777-200LR Worldliner flew 21,601.7 kilometres non-stop and without refuelling from 9 to 10 November 2005 in 22 hours and 42 minutes in “the longest flight ever by an unmodified commercial aircraft”.Flight-tracking provider Flightradar24 said the trip was the second-most-tracked flight ever on its channels—behind a 2024 flight carrying Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin.“A total number of 3,652,947 people tracking it home, making it our second most tracked flight ever!” FlightRadar24 posted.The A350-1000 ULR is a specially modified model that is being built for Qantas to fulfil its “Project Sunrise” specifications, which will allow direct, non-stop flights between Sydney and London and Sydney and New York.Qantas has ordered 12 of the aircraft.When active in Qantas’ fleet, the A350-1000 ULR will be able to travel directly between Sydney and London, either flying up over parts of the Eurasia, across Europe or over the Pacific and then the North Pole.The fastest Sydney-to-London flight would be 19 hours and 25 minutes, and the slowest is about 21 hours, Qantas officials have said. From London to Sydney, it would take between 18 and 20 hours.The time of the flight would vary “from day to day” and its “hugely influenced by winds,” Qantas’ chief technical pilot Alex Passerini told a gathering in Toulouse in June.The plane, still in its primary coating, was flown to Melbourne last by four Airbus flight test pilots, and five flight test engineers, who will put “the aircraft’s systems through their paces”. Qantas pilots were expected to joined the Airbus flight test crew for the return journey to France.The aircraft completed its first flight on June 2, 2026. In the weeks since, Airbus’ test teams have carried out extensive testing on the ground and in the air in Toulouse, including of the aircraft’s redesigned fuel system.More to come with ReutersThe Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning.Chris Zappone is a senior reporter covering aviation and business. He is former digital foreign editor.Connect via X, Facebook or email.From our partners