Qantas' first Airbus A350-1000ULR (ultra long range) aircraft is nearing completion, the airline said on Friday (November 7), with the aircraft entering final assembly at the OEM's facility in Toulouse.
The aircraft is part of the airline's ‘Project Sunrise’, which will see the airline operate non-stop flights from Australia's east coast to London and New York. The airline said the project is the “final frontier of long-haul travel”.
“All key airframe components including the forward, centre and rear fuselage sections have come together, along with the wings, tail section, and landing gear now attached,” Qantas said.
The aircraft was then transferred to a new hangar where it will have engines and flight test instruments installed in preparation for its test flight programme.
The programme will begin next year ahead of delivery, which is expected in late 2026. The first commercial Project Sunrise services will commence in the first half of 2027.
Qantas ordered 12 of these A350-1000ULRs in May 2022 as part of the project and are separate from its 12 A350s ordered in 2023 — along with 12 Boeing 787s — which were for fleet renewal purposes.
The ultra long range iteration of the A350 can fly up to 22 hours. The extra range is facilitated by an additional 20,000 litre rear centre fuel tank and enhanced systems on the jet.
Qantas group treasurer Greg Manning said, during an interview for Airline Economics Issue 83, the airline's customer base is willing to travel for such extended periods.
“For Qantas, we believe we have the customer base and audience in Australia who are keen to do non-stop flights to these destinations," said Manning. "Our most popular routes are still Perth to London, Rome, Paris, as well as Auckland to New York. These are all our longest sectors that we have and they remain really popular. It gives us confidence and competitive proposition flying the routes.
“There's not a lot of US-based or European-based passengers who show a desire to fly for 21 hours. But for Australians, we are seasoned flyers — a short flight for us is an eight-hour flight to Singapore.”
Qantas' A350 cabin configuration consists of 238 seats, including six first class, 52 business, 40 premium economy, and 140 economy seats.