Trials for potentially the world’s longest flights, connecting London to Australia’s east coast, have reached a significant milestone with the testing of a new ultra-long-range aircraft.
The Qantas Airbus, designed for flights lasting up to 22 hours, conducted its inaugural test flight from a French airport on Tuesday. Pilots evaluated the aircraft for approximately four hours, marking the commencement of a two-month testing period.
Departing from Toulouse, the aircraft will undergo a redesign by Qantas, which includes the installation of four different seating configurations.
This aircraft, the second of 12 A350-1000ULR planes constructed for the airline, is equipped with an additional fuel tank and enhanced refrigeration systems for increased travel range efficiency.
Pilots and crew conducted tests on the new fuel system and carried out performance evaluations, with the extra tank providing an added range of 1,118 miles.
A spokesperson from Qantas reported that the test flight lasted three hours and 43 minutes, reaching an altitude exceeding 41,000 feet.
Qantas intends to reveal the first route and schedule for passenger flights on the new aircraft later this month. This announcement follows a delay in the plane’s delivery by approximately four months due to supply chain challenges acknowledged by Airbus.
The upcoming flights will be the first non-stop services from Australia’s east coast to London and New York, as stated by a Qantas spokesperson. The spokesperson emphasized the initiation of a two-month testing phase, during which the aircraft will undergo around 80 hours of flight testing and extensive ground checks for the certification of new and modified components.
Prior to its delivery to the airline in April, the aircraft will undergo refurbishment and a fresh coat of paint, with subsequent planes expected to arrive shortly afterward, according to the Qantas spokesperson.
Currently, Qantas operates non-stop Perth-London flights lasting approximately 18 hours. The introduction of the new aircraft is anticipated to reduce travel time for passengers. Singapore Airlines presently operates the longest commercial flights globally, connecting New York and New Jersey to Singapore in South East Asia.
