The rollout marks the completion of the final assembly phase, with all major structural components now fitted including the fuselage, wings, tail, landing gear and engines, according to major media reports. This first Project Sunrise Airbus A350-1000ULR has been fitted with Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, and a second aircraft, which entered production in February, continues to be on the final assembly line. The aircraft will begin a two-month flight testing programme in the coming weeks, though the exact start date has not been specified.
This testing will involve checking the aircraft's systems, performance and certification of its ULR-specific modifications, including an additional 20,000-litre rear centre fuel tank that will make 22-hour Project Sunrise non-stop flights possible. The historic flights are set to begin in 2027, following this extensive test flight programme this year. Qantas has confirmed the Project Sunrise fleet will be named after 'stars', which has a strong connection to the airline's history.
The service is named for the phenomenon where passengers on the London route see two sunrises during their flight. During the Second World War, Qantas' Catalina flying boats operated 'Double Sunrise' flights, each named after a navigational star used to chart the route across the Indian Ocean. Each of the 12 A350-1000ULRs will carry star names into the future, a theme originally suggested by Qantas pilots and chosen by thousands of Qantas employees, but the specific star names have not been disclosed.
Every aspect of the cabin has been designed to maximise passenger comfort and wellbeing, specifically for ultra-long-haul travel. The cabin's interior has been guided by medical and scientific research carried out on research flights in partnership with the University of Sydney's Charles Perkins Centre, though detailed results of this research are not yet public. Passengers will also enjoy complimentary high-speed Wi-Fi.
These aircraft will be Qantas’ most premium-dense aircraft with more than 40 per cent of seats in premium cabins. Qantas continues to see strong demand for point-to-point travel, with the airline’s non-stop Perth to London, Paris and Rome flights being very popular. Hubs in the Middle East such as Dubai Airport could be avoided as a result of these new routes.
Thousands are thrilled by the idea of travelling overseas without a layover, even if it means spending 22 hours on a plane. The specially configured Project Sunrise A350-1000ULRs will enable the world's longest commercial flights, connecting Australia's east coast non-stop to London and New York for the first time, but exact routes and destinations beyond these cities, as well as pricing and ticket availability for flights starting in 2027, remain to be announced.