Airbus A350-1000ULR Sets Guinness Record for Longest Nonstop Airliner Flight at 14,388 Miles
Why It MattersProving ultra-long-range capability on a modified A350 widens the set of nonstop city pairs airlines can serve, intensifying competition among long-haul widebodies for premium traffic.
Airbus has broken the Guinness World Record for the longest nonstop flight by a commercial airliner, with its A350-1000ULR covering 14,388 miles (23,155 km) in 24 hours and 24 minutes. The record had been held for more than two decades by Boeing's 777-200LR Worldliner, which on November 9, 2005 flew eastbound from Hong Kong to Heathrow, covering 13,423 miles (21,601 km) in 22 hours and 42 minutes with 35 people aboard.
The flight ran from Melbourne to Toulouse on July 27–28 as part of the A350-1000ULR development program for Qantas' Project Sunrise. Operating as AIB35LR, it departed Melbourne at 5:27 PM local time and arrived in Toulouse at 9:51 AM the next morning, flying eastwards over Sydney, the Pacific, North America, the Atlantic and London with 13 people aboard. Independent validation of the aircraft data by the International Aeronautical Federation and Flightradar24 preceded certification; Airbus had originally reported 14,338 miles (23,076 km). Airbus Commercial Aircraft CEO Lars Wagner said the 12,503-nautical-mile flight fully proved the aircraft's capability to fulfill its mission.
The A350-1000ULR adds a rear center fuel tank of about 5,521 gallons (20,900 liters), extending the A350-1000's range by roughly 1,000 nautical miles. Qantas expects its first delivery in April 2027 and plans nonstop Sydney–London service in October 2027 as QF1 and QF2, with Sydney–New York to follow in mid-2028. Qantas has ordered 12 of the aircraft, each with 238 seats.
