The record was established using aircraft data independently validated by the International Aeronautical Federation (FAI) and flight-tracking platform Flightradar24.

The Airbus-operated flight, bearing the callsign AIB35LR, departed Melbourne, Australia, at 5:27 pm local time (06:27 UTC) on Monday, July 27, and landed in Toulouse, France, at 9:51 am local time (07:51 UTC) on Tuesday, July 28.

The aircraft covered a distance of 12,503 nautical miles (23,155 kilometres), completing the journey in 24 hours and 24 minutes.

The record-breaking mission was conducted as part of the flight-test campaign for the A350-1000ULR, which is being developed for Qantas Airways under its ambitious Project Sunrise initiative.

As part of the testing programme, Airbus was required to operate a flight with a block time of 23 hours, measured from pushback at departure to the aircraft reaching its parking position at arrival. The exercise was designed to simulate the longest commercial operations that the aircraft will eventually undertake.

After taking off from Melbourne, the aircraft flew over Sydney before heading out across the Pacific Ocean on a north-easterly route towards Los Angeles. It then crossed the international date line before flying across North America and the Atlantic Ocean.

The aircraft subsequently headed south towards the United Kingdom, passing over London before continuing to Toulouse in France.

During the journey, which covered three continents and two oceans, the crew witnessed two sunsets and two sunrises.

A total of 13 people were on board, including three Airbus flight-test pilots, two Qantas pilots and five Airbus flight-test engineers. Two Airbus design engineers and a representative of the International Aeronautical Federation were also part of the team.

“This achievement reflects the pioneering and innovative spirit that is part of our DNA at Airbus. In responding to the challenge laid down by Qantas, our teams came together to extend the range of the A350-1000 in an efficient and economically viable way to undertake the world's longest ever commercial flights,” said Lars Wagner, Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Commercial Aircraft.

“Flying 12,503 nautical miles non-stop, we have fully proven the aircraft's capability to fulfil its mission. And the world record was the icing on the cake!” he added.

Wagner also congratulated the Airbus teams and thanked Qantas, Rolls-Royce and other partners for their contributions to the project.

“Today we can say that the A350 truly is the undisputed Long Range Leader!” he said.

The A350-1000ULR is designed to enable Qantas to operate non-stop flights between Sydney and London, as well as Sydney and New York, for the first time under its Project Sunrise programme.

Covering distances of almost 10,000 nautical miles, these services are expected to have flight times of up to 22 hours.

The aircraft's extended range is made possible primarily by the integration of an additional rear centre tank (RCT) into its structure. The modification increases its fuel capacity and extends its range by approximately 1,000 nautical miles.

The A350-1000ULR is the fourth passenger variant in Airbus' successful A350 Family, joining the A350-900, A350-900ULR and A350-1000.

Together, the aircraft have established new benchmarks in long-haul aviation, offering significant reductions in fuel consumption and carbon emissions alongside improved passenger comfort.

The passenger aircraft range will also be joined by the A350F freighter, which completed its maiden flight on September 29 and is scheduled to undergo a nine-month flight-test programme.

At the end of October 2026, the A350 Family had secured 1,628 orders from 70 customers worldwide. More than 740 aircraft were already in service with 42 operators, primarily on long-haul routes.

Qantas has ordered 12 A350-1000ULR aircraft under Project Sunrise. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in April 2027, with commercial operations on the Sydney-London route expected to begin later that year.

In addition, the Australian carrier has ordered 12 standard A350-1000 aircraft for future operations across its long-haul network.