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Qantas plane flies for more than 24 hours in record-breaking flight
Qantas has completed what is believed to be the longest commercial flight ever undertaken, with an Airbus A350-1000ULR landing in Toulouse, France, on Tuesday after 24 hours and 24 minutes in the air from Melbourne. The flight forms part of Qantas's Project Sunrise, which aims to launch non-stop services between Australia's east coast and London and New York, cutting a journey that once took five days on the "Kangaroo Route" down to a single flight of around 19 to 21 hours.
The specially adapted aircraft, fitted with an extra fuel tank, covered 23,075km over the Pacific and Atlantic oceans without stopping, breaking the previous record of 22 hours and 42 minutes set by a Boeing 777-200LR in 2005. Flightradar24 said the flight was the second-most-tracked in its history, watched by more than 3.6 million people, behind only the 2024 flight carrying Queen Elizabeth II's coffin. Qantas has ordered 12 of the modified jets, with the first due for delivery in April 2027 and daily non-stop Sydney-London flights expected from October 2027.
In short
- Qantas A350 flew Melbourne to Toulouse non-stop in 24 hours 24 minutes
- Breaks 2005 record; part of Project Sunrise ultra-long-haul plans
- Non-stop Sydney-London flights expected to begin October 2027
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Ultra-long-haul flights represent genuine progress in global connectivity and efficiency. Direct flights reduce total travel time substantially—from over 30 hours with connections to around 20 hours—meaning less time away from family and work, reduced accumulated jet lag, and lower overall emissions per passenger than multi-leg journeys with ground handling between flights. For Australia's economic and social ties with Europe, this capability is strategically valuable and demonstrates the benefits of aviation innovation.
The case against
Whilst time savings are real, the human and environmental costs warrant serious concern. Flights exceeding 19 hours pose documented health risks including deep vein thrombosis, severe fatigue, and psychological strain that remain inadequately researched at these durations. Crew fatigue regulations may also prove problematic. Furthermore, the enormous fuel consumption of ultra-long-haul flights—particularly at such extreme endurance—may result in worse emissions per passenger-mile than the current system, meaning the aviation industry should prioritise sustainable fuel development and incremental efficiency gains rather than normalising passenger flights lasting most of a day.
Explained simply
Qantas, Australia's largest airline, has completed an experimental flight lasting more than 24 hours from Melbourne to Toulouse in France. The specially adapted aircraft, fitted with additional fuel tanks, travelled nearly 23,000 kilometres without stopping, breaking the distance record previously set in 2005.
The test flight is part of Project Sunrise, Qantas's plan to launch regular non-stop flights between Australia and London or New York. Currently, such journeys require at least one stop and take around five days. These new routes would instead take roughly 19 to 21 hours.
Qantas has ordered twelve of these modified aircraft, with the first due to arrive in April 2027. Daily non-stop services between Sydney and London are expected to begin in October 2027.
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