Qantas has reached a major milestone in plans for the world's longest flights, from London to Australia's east coast, with a test flight of a new ultra-long-range Airbus. The A350-1000ULR, capable of 22 hours in the air, made its maiden test departure from Toulouse, France, on Tuesday afternoon.
The test flight lasted three hours and 43 minutes, reaching an altitude of over 41,000 feet. Pilots tested the new fuel system and carried out general performance analysis. The plane features an extra fuel tank adding 1,118 miles of range, as well as lighter, more efficient fridges to maximise travel distance.
This is the second of 12 A350-1000ULR planes built for Qantas. After testing, it will be redesigned by Qantas, including the installation of four different seating types. The aircraft will undergo around 80 hours of flight testing and extensive on-ground checks over a two-month period.
A Qantas spokesperson said the planes will be the first non-stop flights from Australia's east coast to both London and New York. Qantas currently operates non-stop Perth-London flights taking about 18 hours. The new planes are expected to cut hours from passenger journeys.
The plane will be refitted and painted before delivery in April, with the next four planes arriving in quick succession. Qantas plans to announce the first route and timing of passenger flights later this month, despite a four-month delay due to supply chain issues.
