Qantas has revealed the first Airbus A350-1000ULR for Project Sunrise, rolled out from the final assembly line in Toulouse, France. The aircraft advances toward delivery in late 2026, enabling nonstop Sydney-London and Sydney-New York flights starting in early 2027.
This milestone marks a critical step for the ultra-long-range variant, featuring an extra 20,000-liter fuel tank to cover up to 10,573 miles. Flight testing begins in early 2026, positioning Qantas to shave four hours off current one-stop routes like Sydney-JFK via Auckland (20 hours 40 minutes) and Sydney-London via Perth (23 hours 55 minutes).
Qantas ordered 12 A350-1000ULRs in May 2022, with six first-class seats, 52 business-class suites, and a 238-seat configuration including a wellbeing zone for 22-hour journeys. The second aircraft entered final assembly in February 2026, with fuselage, wings, and tail already joined.
Project Sunrise overcomes Australia’s geographic isolation, boosting connectivity to key markets. Despite a five-year delay from pandemic impacts, the fleet supports Qantas’ strategy alongside 12 A350-1000LRs from FY28 under Project Fysh.