A350-1000ULR in the sky. Image source: New Atlas
Airbus, one of the few companies in the world that manufactures passenger aircraft, has lifted the A350-1000ULR into the sky for the first time. This is the passenger airplane with the longest flight range in the world. According to calculations, it can fly from Sydney to London without a single stop in 22 hours. And, for example, it could get from Moscow to Vladivostok in 8 hours.
Which Airplane Flies the Farthest
We’re talking about a new version of the Airbus A350 family. According to New Atlas, the A350-1000ULR prototype completed its maiden flight on June 2, 2026. The test flight lasted three hours and 43 minutes, and the aircraft climbed to an altitude of approximately 12,500 meters. This is a standard cruising altitude for long-haul airliners.
The letters ULR in the name stand for Ultra Long Range. This is a special version of the standard A350-1000, modified to fly farther than any existing passenger aircraft.
How Many Hours Can the A350-1000ULR Fly Without Landing
The range has increased to nearly 9,700 nautical miles, which corresponds to approximately 17,964 kilometers without refueling or landing. In practice, this means flights of about 22 hours — nearly an entire day in the air.
Getting from Australia’s Sydney and Melbourne to New York or London has always been an adventure. After World War II, the journey by steamship took up to four weeks. Flying boats capable of taking off from water shortened the trip to 12 days, but with nine intermediate stops. With the advent of jet airliners in 1959, travel time dropped to 33 hours with three refueling stops.
Even today, seven decades of technological progress later, such routes from one end of the planet to the other require at least one layover in Singapore, Dubai, Los Angeles, or Dallas. A layover adds up to four hours to the trip, and along with it come risks of missing a connecting flight, losing luggage, and going through customs an extra time.
How the New Airplane Differs from the Standard Model
The most interesting thing is that the airplane was barely modified for this record — the changes were targeted. The main difference is a new rear fuel tank holding 20,000 liters, installed in the central section of the fuselage. It is precisely this tank that adds approximately 1,852 kilometers of range compared to the standard A350-1000.
The additional fuel tank in the center of the fuselage is the main difference of the ULR version
For very long flights, engineers installed a lighter galley cooling system with energy-efficient refrigerators. On such flights, it’s critical to conserve electricity and prevent odor buildup in the cabin over nearly 24 hours in the air. In a typical configuration, the airplane is designed for 238 passengers in four classes of service.
In other words, the range record was achieved not by some breakthrough engine, but through smart fine-tuning of an already proven aircraft. After all, it’s far more reliable to refine an existing design than to build everything from scratch.
Why Nonstop Flights Are Needed
The customer for the airplane turned out to be Australian airline Qantas as part of its Project Sunrise program. Its goal is precisely to launch nonstop flights to the other side of the world. But this isn’t just about passenger convenience.
For the airline, direct flights are a way to earn money on expensive premium-class tickets and also protect key routes from external risks. When an airplane doesn’t make stopovers, it doesn’t depend on foreign regulations, nighttime flight bans at foreign airports, shortage of takeoff and landing slots, and instability in certain regions.
But there is a downside. The flight range record still means 22 hours in a seat and, possibly, next to a very talkative neighbor. A nonstop flight saves time on layovers, but in itself remains a serious test for the body.
When Will the World’s Longest Passenger Flights Appear
For now, the airplane is undergoing flight tests, and Airbus has not named an exact date for the first commercial flights. After testing is completed, the airliner will be painted in Qantas livery and handed over to the airline, while the second aircraft is planned for delivery in April 2027. In total, Qantas intends to receive 12 aircraft for long-haul flights.
Ultra-long-range nonstop flights are expected to connect Australia directly with Europe and North America
It’s worth keeping in mind that this is still just the prototype’s first flight, and not the start of regular service. Between testing, certification, and the first passenger on board, considerable time usually passes, and timelines in aviation frequently shift.
In the end, it turns out that ultra-long nonstop flights are moving from the realm of science fiction into reality. If testing goes successfully, routes like Sydney–London without layovers will become commonplace, rather than a one-off experiment.
