Qantas’ first A350 jet (MSN 707), the aircraft the carrier will use for its nonstop Project Sunrise flights from Sydney to London and New York, will make its first run to Australia this month in an Airbus test flight.
Airbus told Karryon that the A350-1000ULR (ultra-long-range) aircraft is scheduled to visit Australia next week, departing Toulouse, France, and touching down in Melbourne at around 11am on Friday, 24 July.
The French plane maker said that it would share more details about the plane’s test run closer to the date.
Karryon has reached out to Qantas for comment.
The first Qantas A350, Airbus’s first custom-built A350-1000ULR jet, made its maiden test flight on 2 June 2026 in France. The flying kangaroo has 12 A350-1000ULRs on order.
The first plane is due to be delivered in April next year, with passenger flights commencing in October 2027.
Last month, Qantas revealed the cabin design for its Project Sunrise flights, which will last up to 22 hours.
The aircraft has been configured with just 238 seats – the lowest seat density of any A350 in the world – spread across First, Business, Premium Economy, Economy Plus and Economy. It will include a world-first “Wellbeing Zone”.
KARRYON UNPACKS: More than a delivery milestone, the aircraft’s first journey Down Under marks Project Sunrise moving from concept to reality, bringing Qantas’ ambition to connect Australia nonstop with London and New York another step closer.
