Aviation News – The Airbus A350-1000ULR has officially broken the Guinness World Record for the longest flight by distance by a commercial airliner, covering 12,503 nautical miles non-stop.
The milestone mission was undertaken as part of the flight test campaign for the ultra-long-range aircraft, which is currently being developed for Qantas Airways under Project Sunrise. Operating under call-sign AIB35LR, the test aircraft departed Melbourne, Australia, and landed safely in Toulouse, France, after a continuous journey lasting 24 hours and 24 minutes. The flight data was independently validated by the International Aeronautical Federation and flightradar24.
During the record-breaking journey, the aircraft crossed three continents and two oceans, allowing the onboard crew to witness two sunsets and two sunrises. A total of 13 people were on board, comprising a flight crew of three Airbus test pilots, two pilots from Qantas, five Airbus flight test engineers, two design engineers, and an official representative of the International Aeronautical Federation.
The rigorous test flight fulfilled a key developmental requirement for Airbus to execute a block time exceeding 23 hours, successfully simulating the extreme duration of upcoming ultra-long-range commercial routes. The successful evaluation highlights the advanced technical capability and robust operational endurance required to connect distant global city pairs without intermediate stops.
Airbus and its partners noted that achieving this verification milestone marks a transformative leap forward for commercial aviation, proving that ultra-long-haul travel can be performed reliably on a global scale.
This achievement paves the way for the official launch of non-stop commercial services linking Australia directly with major global hubs, redefining modern travel connectivity.
