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A Qantas aircraft has officially broken the Guinness World Record for the longest commercial airliner flight by distance.
The Project Sunrise Airbus A350-1000ULR departed Melbourne, Australia, for Toulouse, France, at 5.27pm local time on 27 July.
The flight covered a distance of 12,503 nautical miles, with a flight time of 24 hours and 24 minutes as part of Qantas Airways’ “Project Sunrise”.
Tests are underway ahead of Qantas launching the Project Sunrise services between Sydney and London in October 2027, which will be the world’s longest non-stop commercial flight at 10,573 miles.
A total of 13 pilots and engineers were on board the flight over the Pacific on a north-easterly route across the North American continent and over the Atlantic before heading south towards the UK, flying over London and on to Toulouse.
The record was based on aircraft data validated by the International Aeronautical Federation and Flightradar24.
Lars Wagner, chief executive officer, commercial aircraft at Airbus, said: “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.
“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!”
The A350-1000ULR plans to operate non-stop flights between Sydney and London and New York for the first time, covering almost 10,000 nautical miles and taking up to 22 hours.
Qantas has ordered 12 A350-1000ULRs under Project Sunrise, and the first aircraft is scheduled for delivery next April.
The world's longest flight is Singapore Airlines’ 18-hour flight from its hub to New York JFK, covering 9,537 miles.
Tickets for the first Sydney-to-London services will go on sale in February 2027.