Successful first test flight for Qantas A350-1000ULR

By Andrew Curran.

Airbus has successfully conducted the maiden test flight of an A350-1000ULR. The aircraft, F-WULR (msn 707), will become the first Project Sunrise jet and is currently due to be delivered to Qantas in April 2027.

The test flight, which included a rejected take-off test, took place over France on June 2, 2026.

The three-hour and 43-minute flight was operated by two Airbus test pilots, three flight test engineers, and one ground test engineer.

Qantas said the flight marked “a significant step towards non-stop services between Australia’s east coast and London and New York”.

The airline said the flight focused on testing the aircraft’s primary systems, including the modified fuel system featuring an additional 20,000-litre rear centre fuel tank that will enable commercial non-stop flights lasting up to 22 hours.

F-WULR will now undergo around 80 hours of flight testing over the next two months, along with extensive ground checks and certification work covering new and redesigned components.

This includes certification of a new galley air-cooling system featuring lighter and more efficient refrigeration units, which Airbus plans to introduce across future A350 aircraft.

Meanwhile, Qantas says it will announce the first Project Sunrise route and the timing of the inaugural commercial services later this month.

The airline also confirmed that construction of the second A350-1000ULR is progressing through Airbus’s final assembly line.

Qantas has ordered 12 of the ultra-long-range jets for its planned Project Sunrise flights.

Photos: FlightRadar24, Qantas.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com