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Qantas, Australia’s national airline, shared the first images of its upcoming Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft on Saturday on its social media handles. The jet is being built to operate record-breaking nonstop flights from Sydney to London and New York under its ambitious Project Sunrise initiative, set to launch in 2027. “Our first @Airbus A350-1000ULR (Ultra Long Range) aircraft is now on the final assembly line in Toulouse! This marks a significant step in #ProjectSunrise, which will conquer the final frontier of long-haul travel with non-stop flights between Australia’s east coast and London and New York,” the airline said in a post accompanying the images shot in France. Qantas said that all major parts of the aircraft — including the forward, centre and rear fuselage sections, wings, tail, and landing gear — have now been assembled. The airline added that the jet will soon be moved to another hangar, where engines and flight test instruments will be installed before an extensive testing programme begins in 2026, ahead of its delivery late next year. A CNN report noted that while Boeing’s 787-9 Dreamliner can already fly 17 hours nonstop to Perth on Australia’s west coast, Qantas set its sights on reaching the east coast — which the airline described on Instagram as “aviation’s final frontier.” Our first @Airbus A350-1000ULR (Ultra Long Range) aircraft is now on the final assembly line in Toulouse! ? This marks a significant step in #ProjectSunrise, which will conquer the final frontier of long-haul travel with non-stop flights between Australia's east coast and… pic.twitter.com/VqxtRMBzUm — Qantas (@Qantas) November 6, 2025 Because the flights will last so long, passengers are expected to witness two separate sunrises during the journey. The Airbus A350-1000ULR will carry a 20,000-liter rear center fuel tank, enabling it to fly for up to 22 hours nonstop, cutting as much as four hours off current travel times between London or New York and Australia’s east coast. Qantas first launched Project Sunrise in 2017, though progress was delayed for years by the Covid-19 pandemic that grounded much of the global aviation industry.
