Qantas' 24-Hour Test Flight Sets Record Ahead of 2028 Route

As Qantas readies nonstop Sydney–New York flights, its A350-1000ULR test aircraft flew 24 hours 24 minutes from Melbourne to Toulouse, a first for a commercial airliner.

With the Project Sunrise program moving toward its mid-2028 Sydney–New York launch, one of Qantas' new A350-1000ULR test aircraft completed a nonstop flight of 24 hours and 24 minutes from Melbourne to Toulouse in July, a feat Aerospace Global News describes as a first for any commercial airliner in the world. The announcement of the New York route itself broke on September 23, 2026, and this record-setting test flight is the clearest new evidence since that the aircraft meant to fly the roughly 18-hour commercial route can exceed it by a wide margin. The aircraft is fitted with an additional 20,000-litre fuel tank, giving it a range of more than 16,000 kilometers and up to 22 hours nonstop capability per the outlets covering the program.

The Sydney–New York route will be the first-ever nonstop commercial service between Australia and New York, and the second Project Sunrise route after Sydney–London begins in October 2027. Economy Class & Beyond notes demand in and out of New York on Qantas has nearly doubled since 2023, and intent to book nonstop ultra-long-haul flying has risen from 58 to 70 percent since February, reaching 80 percent among premium travelers.

Aerospace Global News reports the first test aircraft is in the final stages of its flight test program, while a second aircraft entered its eight-week testing and certification program after its maiden flight earlier in the summer. The first aircraft is expected to be delivered to Qantas in April 2027, and Qantas pilots have begun training on Australia's first A350 simulator in Sydney. By the time all 12 A350-1000ULRs are delivered, Qantas expects to have trained 360 pilots and 1,200 cabin crew, according to Aerospace Global News and Travel Tomorrow.

The Project Sunrise jets are configured with 238 seats across four cabins — six first-class suites, 52 business seats, 40 premium economy and 140 economy seats — a lower density than typical A350-1000 layouts. AeroXplorer reports the design includes a dedicated Wellbeing Zone between economy and premium economy cabins where all passengers can use stretch handles with guided on-screen movement programs and access refreshments. Euronews adds that economy plus seat pitch is 34 inches, business class gets an 80-inch flat bed, and first class adds a separate reclining armchair and full-length wardrobe, with lighting and menus designed alongside the Charles Perkins Centre to reduce jet lag.

Qantas has positioned Project Sunrise as a direct answer to the Middle Eastern and Asian carriers that dominate one-stop traffic between Australia and Europe or the U.S. East Coast, according to AeroXplorer, which reports the airline has invested a reported $100 million in cabin design and passenger wellbeing research. CEO Vanessa Hudson told the FT — as cited by Aerospace Global News — that the business case has been retested and demand for non-stop services remains strong even with high jet fuel prices, noting Perth–London is still the highest-performing route on the network. Travel Tomorrow reports Qantas had previously signaled tickets could cost around 20% more than stopover fares, though pricing has not yet been disclosed.

Multiple outlets report tickets for the inaugural Sydney–New York flight go on sale in August 2027, with the route launching in mid-2028 once more aircraft join the fleet. Sydney–London, the world's longest flight, carries its first passengers in October 2027. Travel Tomorrow notes more ultra-long-haul direct flights from Perth should follow in the future. The program's name honors the WWII-era 'double sunrise' flights between Western Australia and what is now Sri Lanka, a nod Qantas makes to its longest-endurance heritage — and, as Economy Class & Beyond recounts, the airline first reached New York in 1958 via Fiji, Honolulu and San Francisco.