Qantas’ Project Sunrise ultra long-haul plane begins flight tests
Make us a preferred source
Make us a preferred source on Google
The news: Airbus has announced that the first of 12 A350-1000ULR aircraft ordered by Qantas has completed its first flight in Toulouse, France, commencing a two month 80-hour flight test campaign.
The context: The planes will be used by Qantas to connect Australian cities on the east coast to global hubs like London and New York with non-stop flights.
Qantas will announce the first Project Sunrise route and timing of its inaugural commercial services later this month, which was delayed last month due to supply chain issues.
The first delivery to Qantas was previously scheduled to arrive by the end of 2026 with flights to begin in the first half of 2027. First delivery is now expected in April 2027, which will push back the start of commercial flights to the end of next year.
Project Sunrise was previously delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The first flight lasted three hours and 43 minutes with the plane reaching an altitude slightly above 41,000 feet. It was flown by an Airbus flight test crew.
When testing is complete, the plane will be retrofit to Qantas’ commercial specifications. It will be capable of flying up to 22 hours non-stop once delivered.
The second A350-1000ULR to be produced for Qantas, which is scheduled to be the first to be delivered in April 2027, is “at an advanced stage of final assembly and ready to roll out of the paint shop in the coming days”, according to Airbus.
The sources: Airbus media release, Qantas media release
