Australia-France Airbus flight breaks world distance record

An Airbus aircraft has broken the world record for the longest commercial airliner flight, completing a non-stop journey from Melbourne, Australia, to Toulouse.

The A350-1000ULR covered 23,155km (12,503 nautical miles) in 24 hours and 24 minutes. 

The record has been officially recognised by Guinness World Records.

The journey was part of a test to demonstrate the aircraft's ability to operate the long-haul routes planned by Qantas, including a non-stop Sydney-London service due to launch next year.

The aircraft departed Melbourne at 17:27 local time on July 27, flying over Sydney before heading north-east across the Pacific. It then crossed North America and the Atlantic, passing over London before reaching Toulouse.

Airbus test pilot Xavier Pepin, who captained the return flight, said that the crew worked in shifts to manage fatigue during the journey. 

"To manage fatigue during the 20 to 23-hour flights we implemented four-hour shifts for each pilot, but we rotated the crew every two hours," he said.

"This staggered approach ensures that when a new pilot joins the cockpit, they overlap for two hours with the outgoing pilot. This facilitates a thorough handover and maintains full situational awareness."

The flight had previously operated a Toulouse-Melbourne route before circling back to its base. 

A total of 13 people were on board for the record-breaking flight, including Airbus and Qantas pilots, flight-test engineers, design engineers and an International Aeronautical Federation (FAI) representative.

While the journey made history as the longest ever flight by a commercial aircraft, the record for the longest ever flight is held by the American millionaire Steve Fossett, who flew for nearly 77 hours over a distance of more than 41,000km in a specialised Virgin Atlantic aircraft in 2006.  

Why the aircraft is being developed

The long-distance flight was part of a testing programme to prepare the aircraft for Qantas's planned non-stop services between Sydney and London and New York.

To enable the aircraft to manage these journeys, several modifications have been made, including the addition of a rear centre tank integrated into the aircraft's structure. This increases the aircraft's fuel capacity and extends its range by around 1,000 nautical miles.

According to Airbus, the A350-1000ULR will be capable of operating flights approaching 10,000 nautical miles, with journey times of up to 22 hours.

Qantas has ordered 12 of the aircraft, with the first scheduled for delivery in April 2027.