en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Airbus A350-1000ULR ultra-long-range aircraft will be used by Qantas to launch the world's longest direct commercial flight from Sydney to London, covering a distance of 9,188 nautical miles (10,573 miles or 17,016 kilometers), with an estimated flight time exceeding 20 hours.

In May 2022, Qantas ordered 12 A350-1000ULR aircraft under its "Project Sunrise" initiative for direct flights from Sydney to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and London Heathrow Airport (LHR). The first aircraft is expected to be delivered in April 2027, with the record-breaking inaugural flight planned for later that year.

This variant is based on the Airbus A350-1000, which has a standard range of 9,000 nautical miles (10,357 miles or 16,668 kilometers). To meet extreme range requirements, the -1000ULR features structural modifications and reinforced landing gear to increase maximum takeoff weight (MTOW), along with a permanently installed additional rear center fuel tank of 5,283 US gallons (20,000 liters) in the aft cargo hold, bringing total usable fuel capacity to 48,893 US gallons (185,076 liters) and extending the range to 9,800 nautical miles (11,278 miles or 18,150 kilometers).

To achieve ultra-long-range flight, Qantas has compromised on passenger capacity. Its -1000ULR features a four-class layout with only 238 seats (6 first-class suites, 52 business-class suites, 40 premium economy seats, and 140 economy seats), whereas a standard A350-1000 can accommodate 350 to 410 passengers in a three-class configuration. Singapore Airlines made a similar trade-off with its Airbus A350-900ULR, which operates the world's longest route (Singapore to New York), carrying 161 passengers compared to 300 to 350 on a standard A350-900.

Fewer seats also mean more space and potentially higher ticket prices. Qantas's A350-1000ULR has a wingspan of 212.4 feet (64.75 meters), a length of 242.1 feet (73.79 meters), a height of 58.4 feet (17.8 meters), and a cruising speed of Mach 0.85. The airline will offer an onboard "wellness zone" to encourage passenger movement during the nearly full-day flight.

Currently, neither the Boeing 787 nor the 777X can handle this route. The Boeing 777-8 has a range of 8,745 nautical miles (10,064 miles or 16,200 kilometers), and the 777-9 has a range of 7,285 nautical miles (8,383 miles or 13,500 kilometers), both falling short of the A350-1000ULR's range. The Boeing 787 family has a maximum range of 7,865 nautical miles (9,050 miles or 14,570 kilometers), supporting only direct flights from Perth to London, not from London to more southern parts of Australia. Qantas previously launched a Perth-to-London 787 route.

Qantas's original inaugural flight plan has been delayed multiple times, with the latest adjustment pushing it to the end of 2027. As of the end of May, the first A350-1000ULR is being painted with the airline's livery in the paint shop in Toulouse, with test flights described as "just weeks away," and pilot training "progressing well" on the new A350 simulator in Sydney. Each route (New York or London) requires three aircraft to achieve daily direct flights, with four additional aircraft to follow the first delivery.

The Airbus A350 program was born from the idea that ultra-long-range is the frontier of commercial aviation, and the A350-1000ULR aims to push this further. Direct flights are expected to save approximately four hours of travel time, but market demand still needs to be validated through passenger choices.

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