Qantas tests 19-hour non-stop flight between France and Melbourne under Project Sunrise

Qantas’ new Airbus aircraft has travelled 17,000km from France to Melbourne non-stop in a test for Project Sunrise.

Qantas operated its Airbus A350-1000ULR for the 19-hour test flight from its manufacturing facility in Toulouse, France, to Melbourne on Friday morning.

Airbus has designed the plane to fly up to 22 hours non-stop, supporting Qantas’ Sydney-to-London direct route, which is expected to launch in late 2027.

Qantas said Airbus’ technical teams carried out extensive testing of the aircraft to ensure the redesigned fuel system could sustain the flight time.  

“The return flight to Toulouse will depart Melbourne on Monday 27 July as part of the Airbus flight test program,” Qantas wrote in a media release.

“Two Qantas pilots will join the Airbus flight test crew on board for the journey back to France.

“The aircraft completed its first flight on 2 June 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.”

The Australian airline announced that its first Airbus A350-1000ULR, currently under assembly, will be named Vega and delivered for Project Sunrise in April next year.

“The first A350-1000ULR painted in the Qantas livery, named Vega, continues to take shape on the Airbus final assembly line. Vega will be the first Project Sunrise aircraft delivered to Qantas, in April 2027,” the airline wrote.

Aviation enthusiasts flocked to watch the journey, with 75,000 viewers tuning in on Flightradar24.com to see the landing of the aircraft.

The plane became the most-tracked flight in the world after it departed Toulouse, with more than 10,000 people watching it.  

Alongside the Sydney-to-UK journey, a Sydney-to-New York flight is expected to follow soon.

Fares for the new flight are estimated to be roughly 20 per cent higher than those of traditional one-stop flights.

Qantas chief executive Vanessa Hudson previously said she hoped demand for the Sydney-to-London service would stimulate interest in the service from other Australian airports.

“We’re going to be able to be announcing the routes progressively as the new aircraft come in over the next two and a half years,” Ms Hudson said.

“Demand can change. We know how demand can change, and we’re going to be responsive to that.”