Inside Qantas' brand new Airbus A350 that just flew 24 hour non-stop from Australia to France
Although a visit Down Under might have previously seemed appealing, the journey from the UK and other countries in Europe can be upwards of 25 hours and involve long, tedious changeovers.
But in major world first, passengers might soon be able to travel directly to Sydney from France, with no stops at all. In fact, over 10,000 people tuned in to watch the flight path as the Qantas Airbus A350 made it's first ever 24-hour non-stop flight earlier this month.
Originally, there had only been direct flights for a break to Australia if you departed from London to the isolated western city of Perth, but this has now changed.
Qantas' Airbus A350-1000ULR has now completed its non-stop flight back from Melbourne to Toulouse, lasting 24 hours and 24 minutes.
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It's thought to be the longest-ever commercial flight, and is a historic first for Qantas' Project Sunrise, which is rolling out the world's longest commercial passenger services next year.
Airbus said the aircraft, with an extra fuel tank, covered 23,075km (14,338 miles) in its long route over the Pacific and Atlantic oceans without stopping, before then touching down at the plane’s factory in Toulouse in south-west France.
Dubbed a 'new era in air travel' the A350 will operate more direct routes to Australia, with a shorter point-to-point travel time, and reducing the overall journey times by as much as four hours.
From October next year, Qantas will operate daily non-stop flights between Sydney and London, with tickets going on sale in February 2027.
The current longest commercial flight, according to FlightRadar24, is Singapore Airlines’ 15,349km trip between New York and Singapore, but Qantas’s Project Sunrise flight will bridge the 16,995km distance between London and Sydney in one stop.
Inside the brand new Qantas Airbus A350
The aircraft has WiFi across the cabin, along with Bluetooth audio connectivity.
According to the airline, more than 40 percent of seats are allocated to Premium cabins, with a mix of First, Business and Premium Economy.
For those who want a chill-out mid-flight, there is a Wellbeing Zone, a dedicated space located between the Premium Economy and Economy cabins.
And there are also 12 different lighting scenes including 'Sunrise', 'Sunset', and 'Awake', which use circadian-rhythm science to help passengers adjust to time-zones.
And even the economy cabin won't be as cramped.
The aircraft is more spacious, with ergonomically-designed cabins that seat 238 passengers, making it the lowest seat density of any A350-1000 in service in the world.
'Historic moment' for world-first flight
UK tourism minister Stephanie Peacock said: “Qantas’s decision to make London the first destination for Project Sunrise is a powerful vote of confidence in the UK as a hub for global tourism, and a reflection of the deep ties between our two countries.
“This is a historic moment, not just for British aviation and tourism, but for the millions of passengers who will experience flying from Sydney to London non-stop for the first time.”
James Holt