Airbus has successfully completed the first ultra-long-haul test flight with the A350-1000ULR. On Thursday, the aircraft departed from Toulouse to Melbourne, where it landed safely after 19 hours and 13 minutes. Starting next year, Qantas will operate scheduled flights with this type between Sydney and London, which can take up to 22 hours.

The flight is part of the certification program, which assesses how the aircraft behaves during such a long flight. The Ultra Long Range version of the A350-1000 is equipped with an extra fuel tank, allowing for non-stop flights from Australia to Europe. This is currently still done via Dubai.

During the test flight, the A350-1000ULR flew over the sea for a long time: the route went via Italy towards Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and past Singapore to the final destination, Australia.

Qantas already flies non-stop with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner from Perth to London, but also wants to connect the Australian East Coast with long-haul destinations. In addition to the UK, the airline is also targeting the US.

The A350-1000ULRs will feature a very premium heavy configuration to make scheduled services profitable, with only 238 seats distributed across First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy. In the latter class, the Australians promise more legroom than usual to make flights lasting up
to 20 hours bearable.

Here's a video of how the cabin will look on the ultra long-range flights ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12RfVl5fajw

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* Origin: AVIATION ECHO HQ (2:292/854)