Qantas A350-1000 First Flight in Toulouse, France.
World's longest-range aircraft, the Airbus A350-1000ULR takes to the skies.
Toulouse, France, 2 June 2026 - The A350-1000ULR (MSN 707), the first of 12 aircraft ordered by Qantas has completed its first flight in Toulouse, France. The aircraft, fitted with special flight test instrumentation, flew for three hours 43 minutes reaching an altitude of slightly above 41,000 feet. The aircraft was flown by a dedicated Airbus Flight Test crew.
The A350-1000ULR is being developed for Qantas Airways to enable non-stop flights between Sydney and London for the first time ever - a distance of almost 10,000 nautical miles, with flight times of up to 22 hours. This is made possible primarily by the integration into the aircraft structure of an additional rear centre tank (RCT), enhancing further the aircraft performance and increasing the range of the aircraft by 1,000 nautical miles.
Video Summary
AI GeneratedThis flight test campaign focuses on modifications to the A350 to enable extreme range capabilities. Testing centers on a new rear servo tank integrated into the fuselage, monitored by extensive cabin wiring and a dedicated engineer station. Additionally, special seat instrumentation is used to simulate passengers to evaluate comfort and temperature during missions exceeding 20 hours.